The 2018 AW Reading Challenge. Now with added breadth and depth.

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Started The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke at the beginning of the year and completed it today. I liked having a book to read in short bites whenever I had a few minutes. I'll probably do another next year for extra credit and perhaps a shorter one for the rest of this year on my own.

As in most anthologies, this one was a mixed bag. Roethke was bipolar and some of the poems are manic, word soup, crazy. Others show a deep insight in deeply gorgeous language. For my tastes, his masterpiece is The Far Field, the whole collection, not just the poem by that name. All his books are collected here, with the exception of one for children.

Here's the Current List:

3 by Alice Hoffman
Faithful Done
The Probable Future Done
The Dovekeepers Done

3 Get on with it Already!
Lila by Marilynne Robinson Done
Jazz by Toni Morrison In Process
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton Done

3 Like a Novel, Only Real
Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri Done
Balancing Heaven and Earth by Robert A. Johnson with Jerry M. Ruhl Done
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert Done

3 Categories, 1 Each

God's Mansion Has Many Rooms
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East by Gerard Russell Done
Upstaged/ /Seasons in the Sun
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare Done
Howdy, Stranger
The Caretaker by A.X.Ahmad (to be switched out, probably)

Scheduled Extra Credit:
Bits & Pieces: The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke Done
Tag, You're It: The Light Between Oceans

3 by Mary Stewart
Rose Cottage Done
Stormy Petrol
Thornyhold Done

Unscheduled Extra Credit:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Done

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

DanielSTJ

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It was an interesting read. As a writer, I think everyone should try to read it-- because some of the sentences were poetic beauty.

However, it was not a great book in my opinion. Although it had style, it lacked in substance. It's a shame, because I LOVED The Magic Mountain. Maybe that's the only work I'll ever like by him, because I've been through most of his others.

Completed The Essential Harlan Ellison. Quite surprised about his variance in writing topics and style. It was worth reading.

Forward!

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1l) Neverwhere- Neil Gaiman
2) Dream West- David Nevin *COMPLETED*
6) The Hunger for Insanity- Maria Erlenberger (Recommended by member what?)
8) The Essential Ellison- Harlan Ellison (At my local college library!) *COMPLETED*
12) Force of Habit- Alice Loweecey
13) From Hell- Alan Moore
19) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas- Frederick Douglas *COMPLETED*
20) The Iceman Cometh- Eugene O’Neill *COMPLETED*
22) Joseph and His Brothers- Thomas Mann *COMPLETED
31) The Golden Bough- James George Fraser
 
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Siri Kirpal

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Thanks for the review of Joseph and His Brothers, Daniel. I had problems with The Magic Mountain, due largely to the superficiality of the female characters.

I like your fellow on a white charger.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

oneblindmouse

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BITS AND PIECES: Best loved poems, edited by Neil Philip. A delightful anthology with over 200 of the best known poems by British poets including Blake, Tennyson, Shakespeare, Longfellow, Burns, Keats, D.H.Lawrence, Wilfrid Owen, Rupert Brooke, Emily Dickinson, Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear. And many many more. Beautifully illustrated. I really enjoyed it and intend to dip into it again and again.
 

Cobalt Jade

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The Other Boleyn Girl is off my plate. Despite what I said earlier, I would like to re-read it at some point. By the time I finished, I was fully immersed in the world, and I could see why it was a best seller and put Philippa Gregory on the map... it was not a demanding read, except in terms of length, yet not unintellectual. In some ways I felt I was being spoonfed by the author, but I enjoyed it. Probably the best Rise-and-Fall historical novel I've read, in terms of being a Rise-and-Fall novel and not a general Historical. (For that, I, Claudius was better.) I'm aware that it was a fictionalized story of Anne Boleyn's life, yet I was very entertained. Four stars.

1. Get on with it already: A book that’s been on your TBR (to be read) list for over a year. Hermetech, by Storm Constantine
DONE ****

2. Freebies: A book you (legally) obtained without paying for. The One Gold Slave, by Christian Kennedy (A giveaway from the author)
DONE
**

3. Setting sail: A book taking place mostly or all on water. City of Fortune, by Roger Crowley (a history of Venice)
DONE
*****

4. I remember that!: A book about a historical event that took place in your lifetime. Where Wizards Stay Up Late, by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon (about the creation of the Internet) DONE ** 1/2

5. My hometown: A book by a local author. Reamde, by Neal Stephenson

8. Bits and pieces: An anthology (poetry, short stories, whatever). Undead Worlds, A Reanimated Writers Anthology (Zombie stories)

24. War is hell: A book about war, on the lines or the homefront, fiction or nonfiction. A Delicate Truth, by John Le Carr

34. Who was that, again?: A book about a person you know little about. The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory
DONE ****

29. Keep up with the Joneses: A book by someone everyone else seems to have read but you have not. Twilight, by Stephanie Myers
DONE (no stars)

38. Coming to a theater near you: A book made into a major motion picture. Albert Nobbs, by George Moore
DONE
*****

48. The butler might have done it: A mystery. Antiques Swap, by Barbara Allen
DONE ***

49. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. The Worm Ouroboros, by E. R. Eddison. That's as High Fantasy as it gets.
DONE *****
 
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Verboten

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The Other Boleyn Girl is off my plate. Despite what I said earlier, I would like to re-read it at some point. By the time I finished, I was fully immersed myself in the world, and I could see why it was a best seller and put Philippa Gregory on the map... it was not a demanding read, except in terms of length, yet not unintellectual. In some ways I felt I was being spoonfed by the author, but I enjoyed it. Probably the best Rise-and-Fall historical novel I've read, in terms of being a Rise-and-Fall novel and not a general Historical. (For that, I, Claudius was better.) I'm aware that it was a fictionalized story of Anne Boleyn's life, yet I was very entertaining. Four stars.

1. Get on with it already: A book that’s been on your TBR (to be read) list for over a year. Hermetech, by Storm Constantine
DONE ****

2. Freebies: A book you (legally) obtained without paying for. The One Gold Slave, by Christian Kennedy (A giveaway from the author)
DONE
**

3. Setting sail: A book taking place mostly or all on water. City of Fortune, by Roger Crowley (a history of Venice)
DONE
*****

4. I remember that!: A book about a historical event that took place in your lifetime. Where Wizards Stay Up Late, by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon (about the creation of the Internet) DONE ** 1/2

5. My hometown: A book by a local author. Reamde, by Neal Stephenson

8. Bits and pieces: An anthology (poetry, short stories, whatever). Undead Worlds, A Reanimated Writers Anthology (Zombie stories)

24. War is hell: A book about war, on the lines or the homefront, fiction or nonfiction. A Delicate Truth, by John Le Carr

34. Who was that, again?: A book about a person you know little about. The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory
DONE ****

29. Keep up with the Joneses: A book by someone everyone else seems to have read but you have not. Twilight, by Stephanie Myers
DONE (no stars)

38. Coming to a theater near you: A book made into a major motion picture. Albert Nobbs, by George Moore
DONE
*****

48. The butler might have done it: A mystery. Antiques Swap, by Barbara Allen
DONE ***

49. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. The Worm Ouroboros, by E. R. Eddison. That's as High Fantasy as it gets.
DONE *****

I think I want to put "The Other Boleyn Girl" on my TBR list. I've read a series by C.J. Sansom (historical fiction) that involved Henry VIII and all his wives. It made me want to read more books on all of that.
 

Chris P

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A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter. Now that's a lovely book. I read an excerpt from George Saunders piece on the effect Salter's work had on him, and he was right; Salter has some chops as a writer.

This is a beautifully written book told in 1st omniscient about the love affair of the narrator's younger American friend Phillip Dean and a young French woman named Anne-Marie. At least 75% of the book is told without the narrator present, and follows the lovers through their amazingly active sex life (probably aught to let the kids get a bit older before recommending this book to them), all the way to the stale end of the romance and Dean's departure for the US, which of course we all know will be the end of the affair although the characters pretend it's not.

While reading, I found myself wondering "Now how is the 1st person narrator going to know all of this when he's not even there?" Then it started to come together: he's unreliable. In the scenes with the narrator present, he is quite inept with women, fumbling through any scene that could lead to something more. Meanwhile Dean effortlessly swoops in with his fancy car and into Anne-Marie's life and waiting bed in country inns across France, living the high life. There are a couple instances where the narrator says "I've made this up. I actually have no idea what actually happened." It leaves me wondering just how much of the book is the narrator's imagination. Are the details of Dean's romance and sexual dalliances with Anne-Marie embellished based on what Dean has told him, nothing more than what the narrator imagines, or could Dean himself be an imaginary alter ego of the narrator, experiencing thrills vicariously through his imagination? I was hooked from the start; Salter does a great job conveying atmosphere. You feel like you're there.


3. Setting sail: A book taking place mostly or all on water. The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown
4. I remember that!: A book about a historical event that took place in your lifetime. Columbine, by Dave Cullen Done
18. Peekaboo I see you: A book you saw someone else reading in public. Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward Done
19. What your great-grandparents read: A book written more than 75 years before you were born. A Study in Scarlet, by Arthur Conan Doyle Done
30. Lol random: Go to Gutenberg.org, click “Book Search,” click “Random” and pick any of the books that show up. The Man Who Was Thursday, by G. K. Chesterton Done
33. Where is that, again?: A book about a place you know little about. The Last Wild Men of Borneo, by Carl Hoffman Done
36. A real scream: A horror novel. The Haunting of Ashburn House, by Darcy Coates Done
37. Happy days are here again: A book published since 1945. A Glass of Blessings, by Barbara Pym Done
42. You might also like. . . : A book recommended by library or bookstore staff, online or in person. A Sport and a Pastime, by James Salter Done
47. I know exactly where that is!: A book taking place in a location you know well. That Kind of Mother, by Rumaan Alam Done
49. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. Sky in the Deep, by Adrienne Young Done
50. Like a novel, only real: Creative nonfiction. The Girl Who Smiled Beads, by Clementine Wamariya
 
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Verboten

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Read Heart of Darkness. I've been wanting to read that for a long time, but when I finally did, I just...didn't get it. So, that was disappointing. Oh well. Onward! Now reading Hitchhikers Guide. Can't go wrong with Zaphod Beeblebrox. Love it. :)

Also read Sophie's World. This book was a recommendation from my family, mostly my sister. I would almost call it a complete philosophy lesson, but there was a story mixed in there as well. I can do more of a review later if anyone is interested.

1. Get on with it already: Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder--DONE
2. My hometown: Creature of the Bardoons by Jeremy Lee Riley--DONE
3. Bits and pieces: Poems by Emily Dickinson--IN PROGRESS
4. Out of this world: Leviathan Wakes by James E. Corey
5. Still time for more chapters: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance--DONE
6. War is hell: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
7. No Cliff Notes this time: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad--DONE
8. Keep up with the Joneses: Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
9. Team Effort: Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child--DONE
10.Just the facts, Ma'am: The Most Human Human by Brian Christian
11.Doorstoppers: The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams--IN PROGRESS
12. Happy days are here again: Fallen Land by Taylor Brown--DONE
 

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"-a Sikh greeting)

Finished Stormy Petrel, the last of my Mary Stewart picks. Actually, it was the first. I read it earlier, very quickly, expecting it to be all fluff. But I realized as I went along that it had a lot more going than that. So decided to reread it, and that's why I decided to add these books to my extra credit list.
The second read was even better. This is a book that should not work, but does.

What's wrong: There's a couple of noticeable typos in the first chapter, and the type of research error that involves time: the protagonist's brother is a doctor with a booming practice and two kids of school age, but he's only 33, which is the age he'd only just be starting practice under normal circs...if he wasn't going for a specialty, that is. Technically, the book is romantic suspense, but the romance is more hinted as a future possibility than real. (Which is fine with me, I'm not a fan of hot books.) The suspense part gets cleared up, wrapped up, four chapters before the end, and then a secondary plot (the one that hints of that future romance) kicks in.

What happens: A tutor in English poetry at Cambridge takes her holiday in a cottage on a sparsely inhabited Scottish island, where she hopes to spend time writing. In her spare time, she's a science fiction writer, under a (masculine) pen name. During her first night there, there's a storm. And two men, one after the other, show up at her cottage. At least one of them is lying. Are these guys both bad guys in cahoots? One good guy and one bad guy? Or two good guys? Well, considering the genre, you can guess.

What's right: First, the writing (despite those typos) is superb, probably the best of the three I read. Second, she makes us really care about this protagonist. Most important, she makes us care about the environment, which is the key to that secondary plot that ends the book. Here, she's put her stupendous powers of description to work as more than stage dressing. And her passages about her experiences with writing ring so true...even though my process is quite different from the protag's. I got a deep feeling of well-being from this book, which was a huge plus, since Mr. Siri is currently in the hospital.

Here's the Current List:

3 by Alice Hoffman
Faithful Done
The Probable Future Done
The Dovekeepers Done

3 Get on with it Already!
Lila by Marilynne Robinson Done
Jazz by Toni Morrison In Process
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton Done

3 Like a Novel, Only Real
Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri Done
Balancing Heaven and Earth by Robert A. Johnson with Jerry M. Ruhl Done
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert Done

3 Categories, 1 Each
God's Mansion Has Many Rooms
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East by Gerard Russell Done
Upstaged/ /Seasons in the Sun
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare Done
Howdy, Stranger
The Caretaker by A.X.Ahmad (to be switched out, probably)

Scheduled Extra Credit:
Bits & Pieces: The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke Done
Tag, You're It: The Light Between Oceans

3 by Mary Stewart
Rose Cottage Done
Stormy Petrol Done
Thornyhold Done

Unscheduled Extra Credit:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Done
 

Chris P

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Verboten, the movie Apocalypse Now is an adaptation of Heart of Darkness. I saw AN back in the early 80s when it was on cable, and didn't read HoD until 25 years later. Each scene I read I could see scenes from the movie; it was that powerful. Conrad had some specific things in mind when he wrote HoD, but I honestly can't remember what. If it wasn't for AN, HoD would have been a very forgettable book for me.

Siri, interesting critique. I like how you did that.
 

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"—a Sikhgreeting)
Due to some problems with some tags/pop-ups on thissite that aren't budging and due even more to some challenges I'm facing athome (notably husband in hospital), I'm going to take a break for awhile. I doplan to finish the challenge this year.
I remember promising to give a report on Jazz byToni Morrison. I'm about ¾ through. Her writing is great, but challenging asall get out. With the exception of a few obtuse paragraphs/sentences, I wasenjoying it until I hit this point, when it seemed to take a long puzzlingdetour. I do plan to finish it, but I don't recommend it to anyone who findsthe rest of Morrison's work a pain to read.
I promised to say why I may switch out The Caretakerfor something else. People sometimes ask me for good novels written by Sikhs,and I thought this was one. But a casual glance made me look through a few ofthe more Sikhi items and then at the acknowledgements. The problem is he'sgotten the words right (mostly), but the way they're used wrong. And he'smissed some obvious opportunities, if his goal is (as he said) to show thehardships faced by immigrants. I knew that A.X. Ahmad was a pen name, so Iwasn't bothered that that's not a Sikh name. But the acknowledgements suggestthat he's a Bengali Muslim. No Sikhs are mentioned in the acknowledgements asreaders or information-givers either. So.... I may read the book, but probably not while I'm facing this set ofchallenges. This book is a thriller. I'll switch it out for something like amystery. So different category, but similar ballpark.
Blessings,
Siri Kirpal
 

Chris P

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I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles, Siri! Family comes first always and know I'll be thinking of and praying for you.
 

oneblindmouse

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Sorry to hear of your situation, Siri. Hope all goes well.
 

mrsmig

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Wishing you strength, Siri, and a speedy recovery for your husband.
 

oneblindmouse

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Under Flight of Fancy I completed Spitfire: A very British love story by John Nichol. I found it much more readable than I thought it would be, as I feared lots of technical aeronautical details, but it was much more about the people who flew Spitfires and why they all fell in love with this aircraft. Knowing already a lot about the Battle of Britain, when the first (state-of-the-art metal-framed) Spitfires were introduced to support the wooden Hurricanes, I was interested to learn how the Spitfire was subsequently used in northern France, North Africa, Malta, the invasion of Italy, Germany, and even in Russia and the Far East, being used primarily as a fighter but also at times as a bomber and for photo reconnaissance. I also enjoyed the sections about the women pilots of the ATA who delivered new aircraft from the factories to the aerodromes, and who were the first women to receive the same pay as men. Altogether a very educational read.
 

Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Thank you all for your healing prayers and good wishes.

Mr. Siri's now home from the hospital. During this first week since his return have completed both remaining books in my main challenge.

Jazz was a challenging but ultimately rewarding book. There were some puzzling passages, a place ¾ through where the story detours, the plot is secondary to the writing and the ideas behind it, and while the writing is gorgeous, it ain't easy. But, oh, my! The book comes together in the end. I'm grateful I read it. But I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like/has trouble with Morrison's other works.

A few days later, finished Superfluous Women, the mystery that replaced The Caretaker. The prose is a bit clunky, especially in the beginning, which was also somewhat heavy-handed with the necessary historical info without straying into info dump territory. Whodunit (no, not the non-existent butler!) was obvious early on. It was a fast fun read, and I might read another if one comes my way, but I don't think I'll go looking for more of Carola Dunn's books, which is a pity because she also lives in Eugene OR.

Just my Tag, You're It book to go.

Here's the Current List:
3 by Alice Hoffman
Faithful Done
The Probable Future Done
The Dovekeepers Done

3 Get on with it Already!
Lila by Marilynne Robinson Done
Jazz by Toni Morrison Done
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton Done

3 Like a Novel, Only Real
Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri Done
Balancing Heaven and Earth by Robert A. Johnson with Jerry M. Ruhl Done
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert Done

3 Categories, 1 Each
God's Mansion Has Many Rooms
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East by Gerard Russell Done
Upstaged/ /Seasons in the Sun
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare Done

Howdy Stranger: The Caretaker by A.X.Ahmad Switched out for: The Butler Might Have Done It: Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn Done

Scheduled Extra Credit:
Bits & Pieces: The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke Done

Tag, You're It: The Light Between Oceans

3 by Mary Stewart
Rose Cottage Done
Stormy Petrol Done
Thornyhold Done

Unscheduled Extra Credit:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Done

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

Chris P

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Siri, I'm glad to hear things are on the mend. It's a relief.

I liked the Light Between Oceans, I'll be interested to hear your input on it.

I made progress on a couple non-challenge books, then this afternoon I'm back on an airplane overseas so I can get back to the challenge: The Girl Who Smiled Beads, about a girl who fleas the genocide in Rwanda.


ETA:Lol. I noticed my typo but will leave it. She describes all the bugs she has to contend with in the refugee camps so it's somewhat fitting.
 
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Cobalt Jade

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I am currently working on She Has Her Mother's Laugh, by Carl Zimmer, a big fat book of essays detailing the history of genetics. It's not a Challenge book but I really wanted to read it, and since it's from the local library, there's a limited time. So my last three Challenge books have been delayed. I may have to swap out my Local Author Challenge, Reamde, by Neal Stephenson, for a shorter book. Octavia Butler or Sherman Alexie.
 

mrsmig

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Finally finished Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, which was an excellent read but so dense that I couldn't read more than 20 pages or so at a sitting. Just so much to digest! Moving on now to Alan Weisman's The World Without Us.
 

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Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide is amazing and long. It's all five books, but I'm making progress!
 

Chris P

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Hitchiker's Guide is amazing. I'mm glad you are enjoying it.
 

Chris P

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On my most recent travels I finished The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clementine Wamariya, subtitled "War and What Comes After." The book opens with her reunion with her parents from Rwanda for the first time since she fled the genocide in the early 90s. The book then alternates between her arrival in the US and events since, and then back to her flight from Rwanda. It's a pretty heavy read, as you can imagine, in that there just isn't a break from one misfortune and hardship to another. She conveys the refugee story with the most effective result it could: making me understand not that she went through, but my inability to understand the entirety of what she went through, and how it affects her in her life afterward. Without putting too fine a point on it, she makes compelling commentary on the West's need for a tragic heroine who can exemplify in one neat package events that are too broad to be comprehended, but also how that one heroine is still just a person who didn't experience anything more or less intense than others did. She also mildly indicts the genocide narrative the Rwandan authorities, the Rwandan populace, and the rest of the world rely on to discuss the massacre as an oversimplification for mass consumption. As far as writing, other war memoirs (such as Dave Eggers' What is the What) are more artful, but the value for me in Wamariya's book is her honest processing on the page of everything that comes after. She is, afterall, just trying to go about her day with not only these experiences but people's expectations of what her experiences mean. It's still a work in progress, as she will continue to grow through her processing.

I'm diverting briefly to some Mark Twain (The Gilded Age, not among his most famous works) before closing out the Challenge with my final title.


3. Setting sail: A book taking place mostly or all on water. The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown
4. I remember that!: A book about a historical event that took place in your lifetime. Columbine, by Dave Cullen Done
18. Peekaboo I see you: A book you saw someone else reading in public. Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward Done
19. What your great-grandparents read: A book written more than 75 years before you were born. A Study in Scarlet, by Arthur Conan Doyle Done
30. Lol random: Go to Gutenberg.org, click “Book Search,” click “Random” and pick any of the books that show up. The Man Who Was Thursday, by G. K. Chesterton Done
33. Where is that, again?: A book about a place you know little about. The Last Wild Men of Borneo, by Carl Hoffman Done
36. A real scream: A horror novel. The Haunting of Ashburn House, by Darcy Coates Done
37. Happy days are here again: A book published since 1945. A Glass of Blessings, by Barbara Pym Done
42. You might also like. . . : A book recommended by library or bookstore staff, online or in person. A Sport and a Pastime, by James Salter Done
47. I know exactly where that is!: A book taking place in a location you know well. That Kind of Mother, by Rumaan Alam Done
49. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. Sky in the Deep, by Adrienne Young Done
50. Like a novel, only real: Creative nonfiction. The Girl Who Smiled Beads, by Clementine Wamariya Done
 

Cobalt Jade

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I finished She Has Her Mother's Laugh, by Carl Zimmer. Though it was not a Challenge book for me, I had reeeaalllly wanted to read it, so I took a long break, because it was a long book. It's about the history of the concept of heredity in humans, which means that most of it is about the history of genetics. Fascinating stuff and easy for a relatively intelligent layperson to absorb. I'd give five stars! I know it's a side-trip but I really want to recommend it, because it was that good.

Because of the length of that book, I felt I had to cut Neal Stephenson's Reamde from the Challenge, because that was a hefty read also. So I substituted The Incredible True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. This book is... well, I don't know. I'm enjoying it, but is disturbing considering it's marketed as YA. There's a bit where the narrator rapsodizes about masturbation, for one thing. I get the feeling the narrator is a younger version of the author in a lot of ways, and considering the sexual harassment he's been accused of, I find it problematic. I wouldn't give it to one of my nieces and nephews, for example. The story itself I understood as being a kind of tall tale, a magic realism. The cartoons by Seattle comic artist Ellen Forney really add to it and are making me like it more than I probably would.


1. Get on with it already: A book that’s been on your TBR (to be read) list for over a year. Hermetech, by Storm Constantine
DONE ****

2. Freebies: A book you (legally) obtained without paying for. The One Gold Slave, by Christian Kennedy (A giveaway from the author)
DONE
**

3. Setting sail: A book taking place mostly or all on water. City of Fortune, by Roger Crowley (a history of Venice)
DONE
*****

4. I remember that!: A book about a historical event that took place in your lifetime. Where Wizards Stay Up Late, by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon (about the creation of the Internet) DONE ** 1/2

5. My hometown: A book by a local author. The Incredible True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie READING

8. Bits and pieces: An anthology (poetry, short stories, whatever). Undead Worlds, A Reanimated Writers Anthology (Zombie stories)

24. War is hell: A book about war, on the lines or the homefront, fiction or nonfiction. A Delicate Truth, by John Le Carr

34. Who was that, again?: A book about a person you know little about. The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory
DONE ****

29. Keep up with the Joneses: A book by someone everyone else seems to have read but you have not. Twilight, by Stephanie Myers
DONE (no stars)

38. Coming to a theater near you: A book made into a major motion picture. Albert Nobbs, by George Moore
DONE
*****

48. The butler might have done it: A mystery. Antiques Swap, by Barbara Allen
DONE ***

49. Pixies and Dryads and Elves, oh my!: A high fantasy. The Worm Ouroboros, by E. R. Eddison. That's as High Fantasy as it gets.
DONE *****
 

oneblindmouse

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Cobalt Jane, I read the incredible diary of a part time Indian quite a few years ago, and remember being surprised and not really knowing how to catalogue it. A strange book.

I finished my book for Who was that again? (About someone you knew nothing or little about): Donde Nadie te Encuentre [Where nobody will find you] by Alicia Giménez Bartlett. In this prizewinning historical novel, two fictional characters - Carlos Infante, a Spanish journalist, and Lucien Nourissier, a French psychoanalyst- set off in 1956 in search of the legendary but real guerrilla fighter Teresa Pla Meseguer, known as La Pastora (the Shepherdess), who is rumoured to be still alive and in hiding in the sierra between Barcelona and France. Not knowing whom to trust as they follow tenuous leads, Infante and Nourissier must outmanoeuvre Franco’s hated Guardia Civil as they unravel a tragic and often brutal story. Was La Pastora misdiagnosed as a girl at birth, or a woman in men’s clothing? Was he/she a brutal psychopath, responsible for killing 26 people in cold blood, or an illiterate misfit in an ignorant rural society, only seeking to escape the cruel treatment she/he had been subjected to since childhood? I was fascinated by La Pastora’s story and very interested to learn about the maquis, but found the fictitious part of the story unnecessarily long. I think the author was too ambitious, combining the tale of a forgotten and little-known historical figure, with a fictitious thriller set in post Civil War Spain, and a psychological quest for identity (the two fictitious characters mirror La Pastora’s quest as they ask themselves who they are and what they want in life).

My personal life has taken another horrendous turn (talk about an annus horribilis!) and my son is now in hospital fighting leukemia. Was it prophetic that earlier this year I read a book about the history of cancer? It´s early days still, but I´ve moved countries to care for him (after we managed to move him halfway across the planet in order to receive proper medical care). The long hours spent in hospital, and my wanting to distract myself from worrying, means I´m reading a lot.