Reading with Style discussion
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SP 20 Completed Tasks
20.8 My Cup of TeaSmall Island by Andrea Levy
Review: This is just the way I like my historical fiction! It has well-written characters inhabiting times and places that are little known to me. It focuses on young Jamaican men who join the RAF in WWII and are stationed in England. It also includes the experiences of a British man serving in South Asia, a war theater that I have read little about. It follows them and some of the women in their lives into post-war London.
One of the books that the author, Andrea Levy, sights as a source is called When Jim Crow Met John Bull which says a lot about some of the incidents described in the book in England during the war. How the British, trying to discount their own racism, bow to the racism of the American troops.
The point of view switches throughout the book giving the reader a chance to see characters from within as well as seeing them from the POV of others in the story. Levy makes this a rewarding experience for the readers.
Recommended.
+20 One among many :”But he still managed to drink three cups of tea and eat the same amount of currant buns before he rose from his seat �
+5 combo 10.10
+10 review
Task total: 35
Season total: 235
Kate S wrote: "From Post 440Mary wrote: "10.2 Letters
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
10 pts 10.2 Letters
5 pts 10.3 Conjunctions
5 pts 10.4 High Five
5 pts 10.5 S..."
Thanks Kate
I think this book does not qualify for 10.06. I only see 28.6k reviews.
Mary wrote: "Kate S wrote: "From Post 440Mary wrote: "10.2 Letters
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
10 pts I think this book does not qualify for 10.06. I only see 28.6k reviews.
"
You are correct and thank you. That was my error. We'll fix it.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Mary wrote: "Kate S wrote: "From Post 440Mary wrote: "10.2 Letters
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
10 pts I think this book does not qualify for 10...."
Thanks for the update. I appreciate all your work on compiling points!
20.8 Cup of TeaThe Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
Lexile: 880
My kids ages 8 and 11 loved this book, which I read out loud to them. As the adult reader, I found it mostly silly--decidedly a middle grade book without much to capture the adult reader.
The premise here is that a dystopian city has decided to execute anyone who by age 13 shows any sign of creativity. I guess (and I say I guess because it isn't ever clearly explained) that the reason is that non-creatives will more willingly blindly follow directions of a controlling and dictatorial society. But luckily for the teens selected for elimination, there's a magical world hiding in the wings to take them in.
In the hidden magical world, they are preparing for the possibility that they'll be discovered and there will be war with the original city. The idea of magical weapons based on art/creativity is neat, but the actual explanations for the weapons was largely lacking. There's a good-hearted mentor figure, some magical beasts, twins (one evil and one good, naturally), but for me the overall story fell flat.
Since my kids liked it so much, we're already reading book 2, but unless it improves, I don't know that I'll have patience for the whole 7-book series.
+20 Task ("'As you can see,' Mr. Today said as he poured tea and added several sugars to his own, 'your brother Alex is not dead.'" - p. 222)
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.9 - 1st in series; see - "seventh and final" book released 2016)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 580
20.10 It's a MysteryThe Black Tower by P.D. James
The book opens with Dalgliesh in the hospital, learning that he isn't going to die. But he has had mononucleosis and needs to convalesce. From the beginning, and throughout the novel, Dalgliesh wonders whether he really wants to continue as a policeman. Since there are 9 more installments in the series, it's not a mental leap to know his decision. But while in the hospital he had a letter from his father's curate of 30 years ago asking to see him, professionally, and so Dalgliesh takes himself to the Dorset coast.
I think I prefer the detectives to stay on the job and not operate off duty. This is the second in the series where Dalgliesh has been on scene unofficially. Further, it takes a very long time in this one for us to know with certainty whether previous deaths are murders or from natural causes, as was assumed at the time. As this is a murder/crime novel, it's easy for the reader to jump to conclusions, but I sort of like things a bit more obvious. There is enough guess and conjecture in these things anyway.
In this, there are a *lot* of named characters. The setting is a home for the disabled - all wheelchair bound. Although that population is small, each is named and with a backstory. There is also the small staff. For nearly the first half of the book I had a hard time remembering which were able-bodied and which were not. As we are purportedly talking about a murderer, knowing which was which was pertinent.
This is my least favorite of the series so far. If I weren't reading with a group, and planning to read one a month for the rest of the year, I might throw my hands up and move on. But I like the prose, and despite complaining about too many characters, James does a better job of characterization than I find usual for the genre. I will persevere, but this was a not-very-good 3-stars.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+ 5 Oldies (1975)
Task total = 35
Season total = 615
14 Owned/19 Read
20.4 Robert Penn WarrenThe Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
A beautifully written book, surely deserving of more stars that I could find in my heart for this novel. The writing is gorgeous. The scenery well described. But the book was just too bleak for me to enjoy right now. I should have known that before I started. I maybe should have saved this for a time when I feel less bleak about the world. But I didn't and so goes the arbitrariness of ratings and reviews.
I think there are grand themes here about standing up to misfortune and moving on with life even when things seem lousy, but I couldn't bring myself to face them with this book.
The narrator for the audiobook didn't help matters. He reads in a flat style, stumbles mightily over the passages in Spanish, and generally serves to contribute to the overall bleakness.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Oldies (1994)
Task total: 35
Grand total: 615
15.7 - BlackjackNaked in Death by J.D. Robb
9 clubs (title starts with N)
5 hearts (set in US state - set in New York)
3 clubs (300-399 pages)
=17
+20 task
+5 female author
+5 published 1995
Post total: 30
Season total: 405
20.6 Katherine Anne PorterOleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
I really enjoyed this book, even if I spent a great deal of the time worrying that something bad was going to happen to the main character!
She is a young South Asian woman who, after her Grandfather dies, finds out that the story she had been told about her birth and death of both of her parents is a lie. As a result, she sets out find her father (her mother really is dead) which entails a trip to the US. This is where I felt the most nervous for her � I could imagine all sorts of bad things happening to a young naive brown skinned woman just after 9/11 occurred. Luckily, she had help from some good people who kept an eye on her and helped her with her quest.
Much of the story takes place in contemporary Kolkata, and this was very interesting since the culture and expectations are very different from our Western ones. However, the women in this story are strong individuals. The class system is well entrenched, and a chauffer plays a pivotal role. As well, Divakaruni touches lightly on the fact of Hindus and Muslims living and working side by side. She also doesn’t shy away from showing the dangerous underbelly of Kolkata.
The writing was very well done, and the story-telling skillful. 4.5*
20 task
10 review
5 combo 20.8*
____
35
*pg 243 '�... But she made the best tea. We'd drink it in bed while we read each other snippets�..'
Running total: 1410
22 owned/37 read
10.10 Group ReadsLillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
Review
Lilian Boxfish Takes a Walk is basically the author's love letter to New York as her protagonist, Lillian Boxfish, walks through Manhattan, she basks in her beloved city and reminisces of her life here in her prime years.
It is basically a beautiful novel but just oh, so sad that it's really not what I needed right now plus it also contained that particular thing that I'd like to avoid in fiction, I was that tempted to drop it. So all in all, it's me and not the book. The book with its poignancy & concession to life in general rather depresses me even as it ended with a light hearted note, it wasn't enough to uplift me.
+10 Task
+10 Combo (10.2; 10.4)
+10 Review
Post Total: 30
Season Total: 1,190
Kate S wrote: "From Post 346Tien wrote: "15.1 Blackjack (Round 2)
Kappy King and the Pie Kaper (An Amish Mystery #3) by Amy Lillard
J Clubs (title has a k in King)
K Spades (KI..."
Sorry for the confusion, Kate, they are actually different books... there are 3 books in the series so far and each one is titled "Kappy King and ... Kaper"
In post #317, I claimed book 1 (Puppy Kaper) & post #346, I claimed book 3 (Pie Kaper)
15.5 Blackjack (Round 2)Polaris by Jack McDevitt
7 Spades (Polaris has 7 letters)
Jack spades (author’s name Jack)
+20 Task
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 825
15.6 Blackjack (Round 2)Serpent's Reach by C.J. Cherryh
7 Diamonds (title begins S)
8 Diamonds (originally published 1980)
2 Clubs (has 287 pages)
+20 Task
+ 5 Female
+ 5 Oldies
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 855
15.7 Blackjack (Round 2)The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
10 Hearts (set in middle ages)
Jack Diamonds (set in Russia)
+20 Task
+ 5 Female
Task Total: 25
Season Total: 880
15.10 Blackjack (Round 2)Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
4 Clubs (MPG: Mystery)
6 Hearts (X in title)
7 Diamonds (title begins with S for Saint)
+45 Task
+5 Female
+150 Finisher (26 cards)
Post Total: 200
Season Total: 1,390
20.9 Women in Translation Un éclat de givre by Estelle Faye
+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.8 - "Tess smiles at me, she brings her cup to her lips. It must be tea, she always drinks it.")
Task total = 25
Points total = 255
15.8 - Blackjack What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
9 hearts (published in 19th century - 1872)
7 clubs (published in 70s - 1872)
3 spades (three word title)
=19
+30 task
+5 female author
+5 published 1872
Post total: 40
Season total: 445
10.5 High Five DayLet the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
These are richly composed characters, but the book still felt a bit like a creative writing exercise. Remember the movie Crash? Me neither, but I remember generally that the premise was that there was a car accident that brought random people's lives into intersection. That's this book.
Loosely structured around a tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in 1974, the book tells the individual story of a large handful of semi-related New York characters--the prostitutes, including a mother/daughter pair, a strange Irish missionary, the missionary's brother, and various others. The women are the most well-developed and most interesting characters of the book. The men who make it in are almost entirely extraneous and boring.
The book escapes being boring because the writing is so sharp. McCann can write and can manage truly different voices for different characters, even those quite different from himself. I feel like this book didn't quite reach the author's potential, though.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (20.4, 20.8 - "She reached across, lifted Corrigan's teacup, blew it cool, left a smudge of lipstick on the rim." 7%)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 645
10.1 Thirst for MoreThe Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
YA, no Lexile (I think that's right this time!)
+10 Task
Post total: 10
Season Total: 625
15.3 Blackjack (Rd 2)Kiss Me by Andrew Pyper
10 Spades - ss
Jack Clubs - 'K'
15 task
5 not a novel (short stories)
_____
20
Running total: 1430
23 owned/38 read
15.1 Blackjack Round 3Slowly, Slowly in the Wind by Patricia Highsmith
9 Spades (1979)
10 Spades (short stories)
+15 Task
+ 5 Not a novel
+ 5 Female
+ 5 Pub'd 1995 and earlier
Task total=30
Grand total=1085
15.1 Blackjack (Round 3)Curses and Confetti (Bustlepunk Chronicles #3) by Jenny Schwartz
A Diamonds (120p)
9 Diamonds (100% in Australia)
+15 Task
+5 Female
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 1,410
15.2 BlackjackThe Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
(1010 lexile)
8 of clubs + king of spades + ace of spade (1) = 19
+15 task
Task total = 15
Points total = 270
15.3 BlackjackZero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste by Bea Johnson
4 of diamond + 5 of clubs (environment) + 10 of clubs (2013) = 19
+15 task
+5 Female
+5 Non-fiction
Task total = 25
Points total = 295
20.3 Theodore H WhiteLooking for the Possible Dance by A.L. Kennedy
This novel sets its focus on Margaret and her close relationship with her father in Scotland. She grows up thinking that her Mom died while she was an infant....and later learns that her Mom abandoned the family. Margaret later goes to college and meets a guy, Colin, and falls in and out of love. Colin is essentially a good guy....but with his own set of issues.....which the reader never gets a good grip on.
For me, this novel was just too slow. It probably doesn't fare well after having recently finished The Commitments....a book that is set in Ireland, educates this American reader on some local culture and is full of action.
The best part of this novel for me was when Margaret was put in charge of organizing a ceilidh...a traditional Scottish folk festival. Echoes again of The Commitments...with similar skirmishes as well (which the reader is warned to expect as normal...LOL.)
2.5 stars
Task =20
Review=10
Combo= 20 (10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 20.8*)
*p.5- “You ready for your tea now? Aye.�
p.41- “They went in, made their appointment and had tea in a tea shop until it was due.�
1001=10
Oldie =5 (1993)
Task Total= 65
Grand Total=1215
Tasks Completed=29
10.1 (45); 10.2 (30); 10.3 (30); 10.4 (30);10.7 (25); 10.9 (30); 10.10 (35)
�15.1 (25); 15.2 (30); 15.3 (30); 15.4 (20); 15.5 (30); 15.6 (30);
15.7 (30); 15.8 (40; 15.9 (45); 15.10 (205)
2nd Round- 15.1 (25); 15.2 (25)
20.1 (50); 20.2 (35); 20.3 (65); 20.4 (60) ; 20.5 (45); 20.6 (45); 20.7 (35); 20.8 (35); 20.9 (35); 20.10 (50)
20.4 Robert Penn WarrenThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
(Lexile 1030)
I’d seen the movie but never read the book. I really enjoyed it, although it’s hard not to compare with the movie. The characters are classic, especially the scarecrow who believes he has no brains but comes up with all the ideas.
It’s surprisingly violent, but of course children love hearing about villains dying horribly in stories.
I loved the description of the one-room house (smaller than the one in the movie) in which Dorothy is transported to the fantasy world. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry’s bed is in one corner and Dorothy’s in another. They’re very poor, and she has no parents or siblings, but she never wavers from her wish to go home. There’s a message there!
+20 Task
+20 Combo (10.4, 10.5 1901, 10.6, 10.9)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies
Post total: 60
Season Total: 685
I have only just realised that the series for 10.9 - Trilogy can be more than three books!So, please can I move Claudine at School (post 429) from task 20.9 to task 10.9?
This is -10 pts for the different task, but +5 combo, so I make my total now 680.
20.9 Women in TranslationClaudine in Paris by Colette
The second in the Claudine series of novels sees 17-year-old Claudine suddenly uprooted from her beloved village of Montigny by her slug-studying father, who has decided on a move to Paris. She stalks around the streets alone, makes friends with a gay male second cousin, and � but I’d better not give away the whole plot, such as it is.
I enjoyed this more than Claudine at School because Claudine seems so much nicer. Well, perhaps “nice� is going too far, but she’s not the arrogant bully of the first book (unless she’s just run out of victims). Still, it’s very clear that it was written to titillate, and the Claudine series as a whole is not what I was expecting. I don’t plan to read the remaining two books.
Tea: "We drank our iced tea with lemon."
+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.5 1901, 20.8)
+10 Review
+10 Oldies
Post total: 50
Season Total: 730
15.6 BlackjackThe John McPhee Reader by John McPhee
7 of clubs (1976)+
Jack of spades (John)=17
+20 task
+5 not a novel
+5 oldie
Task total 30
Season total: 265
15.2 Blackjack Round 3A Bit of Singing and Dancing by Susan Hill
King Spades (singing, dancing)
7 clubs (1976)
+15 Task
+ 5 Not a novel- short stories
+ 5 Female
+ 5 Pub'd 1995 and earlier
Task total=30
Grand total=1115
10.10 Group ReadsLillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
What a wonderful little book. The narrator for the audiobook really captured this character and I think raised this book from what would have been a three- or four-star read to a five-star for me. It also doesn't hurt that I have fond memories of living in and walking around New York City, not in the mid-eighties when this book is set, but in the early 2000s. The author has hit on something important about the way that walking around a city puts people into contact with each other and with their city. That level of contact often feels lost out in mid-America where we all have plenty of space, drive our personal vehicles, and don't have these sorts of chance encounters nearly as often.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.2, 10.4)
Task total: 30
Grand total: 675
Task 20.8 My Cup of Tea (Owlette's Task)Read a novel in which a character drinks or brews a cup of hot tea. Please include the sentence when claiming the book for points. See help thread for ideas.
p. 118: “They drank tea and ate dainty little sandwiches while she summarized what she had written about Rocovsky’s comments.�
A Hole in Texas (2004) by Herman Wouk (Hardcover, 278 pages)
Review: The premise of this novel: In 1993, the largest basic science project in world history, the Superconducting Super Collider (also known as ‘The Hole in Texas�), was cancelled by the US Congress. (This really happened.) Ten years later, the Chinese successfully completed a Superconducting Super Collider, and with it found a Higgs boson. (This did not happen � it is fiction.) The novel centers on a scientist involved in the 1993 US effort. He encounters a wide range of people associated with the Superconducting Super Collider � American scientists, Chinese scientists, former romantic partners, journalists, US Congressional Representatives, and Hollywood movie types.
Wouk does a poor job of explaining Higgs boson and why it is important to Physics. However, understanding Higgs boson is not necessary to follow the plot. Mass communications and media storms are what Wouk understands and is what he humorously focuses on in this novel. Even though the novel is set in 2003, all the references in the novel are to 1990s pop culture (actors, journalists, politics, scandals, ‘fax machines�, movies, songs, attitudes towards China, etc.). For me the 1990s references were a trip down memory lane, but younger readers would find footnotes to be helpful.
Recommended for a light and breezy reading experience.
+20 Task
+10 Review
Task Total: 20 + 10 = 30
Grand Total: 240 + 30 = 270
15.10 BlackjackSpade A - 1st in Series
Diamond Jack - Asia (100% Saudi Arabia, turning it green on our project!)
Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris
+ 45 Task
+ 5 Female
+150 Completion bonus - 25 cards
Task total = 200
Season total = 815
14 Owned/20 Read
20.8 My Cup of TeaThe King's General by Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier is one of those authors who can sweep you away from the concerns of our troubled times, and leave you enthralled in her writing. "The King's General" takes the reader to Cornwall during the English Civil War during the reign of Charles I.
Honor Harris was a spirited eighteen-year-old when she first met Richard Grenvile. Richard was a fine soldier who had the confidence of his men. A tragic accident prevented Honor and Richard from a lifetime together, but their love remained strong. While Richard was tender and loving toward Honor, he was a man of many flaws when dealing with others. His strong beliefs in what he considered right often obscured his vision as a father or a friend.
"The King's General" has lots of historical detail, Gothic elements, and colorful characters. Life was precarious in 17th Century Cornwall with the English Civil War that tore countrymen apart, along with coping with disease and food deprivation. The activity in a secret passage added to the atmosphere and adventure.
+20 task p 175 "Matty brewed me a cup of tea, and it seemed wrong to swallow even that."
+ 5 combo 10.8 Go to Jail p 274 " Imprisonment at His Majesty's pleasure, with a pardon, possibly at the end of the war." (Richard Grenvile was imprisoned.)
+10 review
+ 5 oldie (pub 1946)
Task total: 40
Season total: 480
10.5 Sherlock HolmesJapanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (pub. 1903)
This is a compilation of over 20 tales....almost all set in Japan. (One story is set in China and two others in the underwater Kingdom of the Sea.) The first thing that struck me was how similar some of the stories were to Grimm's Fairy Tales which I recently read. One story features a "goblin" who lives out in the woods, and is a cannibal. Not of children (a la Hansel and Gretel) but of wandering men seeking a night's lodging. Other stories center on princesses and knights (samurai) who have to do impossible feats to gain the hand of the princesses. There is an echo of John Bunyan legends with one or two stories featuring extraordinarily strong boys. The two stories underwater are probably more distinctly Japanese.
I was thankful that this was a shorter read than Grimm's. Grimm's tales became so repetitive it was hard to continue.
Three stars.
Task =20
Review=10
Combo= 5 (20.8*- p.117-“The feast over. he was next invited to the tea ceremony room to drink a cup of tea.�)
Oldie =10 (1903)
Task Total= 45
Grand Total=1260
Tasks Completed=30
10.1 (45); 10.2 (30); 10.3 (30); 10.4 (30);10.5 (45); 10.7 (25); 10.9 (30); 10.10 (35)
�15.1 (25); 15.2 (30); 15.3 (30); 15.4 (20); 15.5 (30); 15.6 (30);
15.7 (30); 15.8 (40; 15.9 (45); 15.10 (205)
2nd Round- 15.1 (25); 15.2 (25)
�20.1 (50); 20.2 (35); 20.3 (65); 20.4 (60) ; 20.5 (45); 20.6 (45); 20.7 (35); 20.8 (35); 20.9 (35); 20.10 (50)
10.2 - 20 Letter TitleWhat to do When Someone Dies by Nicci French
+10 task (23 letters)
+5 Combo (20.8 - pg 148 - I made myself a cup of tea and drank it while I paced round the house.)
Task total: 15
Grand total: 525
20.8 - My Cup of TeaThe Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain
+20 task (pg 77 - I made a cup of tea and unwrapped one of the scones I'd brought home from the café...)
+5 Combo (10.2 - 21 letter title)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 560
15.8 BlackjackThe Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion
�3 (3rd in a series)
� 3 (300-399 pages=376 pages)
�6 (author first name=6 letters, Graeme)
�9 (pub. date ends in 9= pub. 2019) = 21
Task total: 30, 23 total cards used
Season total: 615
Post 491 Valerie wrote: "20.3 Theodore H WhiteThe Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams
This is the third (and last for now) book in ‘The Secret Book and Scone Society� series. Surprisingl..."
Sorry, Valerie. This has exactly 20 letters and the 10.2 task is for more than 20 letters.
10.7 In MemoriamThe Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
10pts 10.7 In Memoriam
5 pts 10.2 Letters
5 pts High Five
5 pts 10.8 Go to Jail. Several suspects are jailed and that drives the solution to the mystery
5 pts 20.8 My Cup of tea p 24 “Her son poured the tea�
5 pts 20.10 It’s a Mystery
10 pts Review
5 pts Oldies
This is the first installment in a new series for me; the Inspector Barnaby Series and it looks like one I am going to follow up on reading the rest of the books. As always, a small English village finds itself at the center of several murders and an astute detective with a not so clever assistant manages to solve the mystery. This was well written and it was not until the end of the story that I figured out the culprits. Very enjoyable!
Cards used 15.1 -15.5 = 13
Task total: 50 pts
Correction post # 509 5 pts
Season total: 630 pts
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 .... ....
15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 . .... .... .... .... ....
.... .... 20.3 .... 20.5 20.6 .... 20.8. .... 20.10
20.9 Women in TranslationI read No Place For HeroesNo Place for Heroes by Laura Restrepo, originally written in Spanish.
Points for task = 20
Style Points 10.3 conjunction “for� = 5
Points for post = 25
Previous Points = 525
Total Points so far: 550
Jayme(the ghostreader)15.2
Tales of the Wolfby Lawrence Sanders
10 of spades- short stories
2 of clubs- 234 pages
5 of hearts- set in US
17 total
Task + 15
Published before 1995- published 1986
Grand total: 165
15.4 Blackjack (Rd 2)Death of an Old Girl by Elizabeth Lemarchand
Ace (11) Spades - 1st
6 Diamonds - 1967
15 task
5 female
5 oldie
____
25
Running total: 1450 (adjusted for Elizabeth's correction)
24 owned/39 read
10.6 Richard AdamsThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
If you are a ‘dog person� and you haven’t read this book � you need to! The dog is ‘Enzo� and this is his story (really his owner’s story told through Enzo’s filter). I was worried it might be corny or over the top sappy, however it wasn’t. That said tears were shed during the reading of this novel! The story is dramatic and believable. It was interesting how well Stein held on to Enzo’s voice. Of course, you have to accept, in the first place, that a dog can tell his story. There are a lot of life lessons in the course of Enzo’s life, and luckily they are shared here. 5*
10 task
10 review
5 combo 10.2
_____
25
Running total: 1475
25 owned/40 read
15.9 - BlackjackAnne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
3 diamonds (published in 30s - 1936)
9 diamonds (set in a Commonwealth country - Canada)
7 spades (7 letter title word - Poplars)
= 19
+30 task
+5 female author
+5 published 1936
Post total: 40
Season total: 485
10.8 Go to JailUncle's Dream by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I have said that I often miss humor in books. I don't think I missed much in this one. The humor is farcical and broad. Maria Alexandrovna is said to be a scandal-monger, though of course she believes herself above that sort of thing. She thinks herself the top of society. She has banished her husband to their country estate, and, while he has only a bit part in this, I can't help but share part of his description before he disappears off stage.
Firstly, then, he was a most presentable man, so far as exterior goes, and a very high-principled person besides; but in critical moments he used to lose his head and stand looking like a sheep which has come across a new gate. He looked very majestic and dignified in his dress-coat and white tie at dinner parties, and so on; but his dignity only lasted until he opened his mouth to speak;Their beautiful and unmarried daughter is Zenaida, or Zina. She is pursued by a young man who she detests, but has kept dangling from a string, promising to give an answer to his proposal at some future date. Enter an old Prince. Maria Alexandrovna decides to entrap the Prince into an offer of marriage for her daughter. If this were a movie, much buffoonery would follow.
This was exactly what I wanted to be reading just now. As short as it is, it still climbs into the 4-star group.
+10 Task (Doestoevsky is on the pre-approved list)
+10 Review
+ 5 Combo (20.8 - "There is a lady pouring out tea, a distant relative of the family, and living with Maria Alexandrovna in that capacity, one Nastasia Petrovna Ziablova." beginning of Chap 3
+15 Oldies (pub'd 1859)
Task total = 40
Season total = 855
15 Owned/21 Read
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A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
277,000+ ratings with 4.18 average
+10 task
+5 age (1988)
+5 combo (10.4)
Task total: 20
Grand total: 810