Reading with Style discussion
Summer 2026
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Completed Tasks
10.1 Summer 2026Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
I recently met with one of my IRL book clubs, this one consists of three members: a drag queen who teaches English and History by day and finds time to write on the side (his duology is on my reading list for this season), a vegan coding savant who rescues disabled dogs and is a pub trivia assassin, and me. I am, needless to say, the most boring member of this trio, so when I can suggest a book (or, better yet, a series) that I think they'll love I get really excited! As a group, we've read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi. They've read Murderbot and V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series and when I heard that neither of them were familiar with Seanan Maguire, I had a sneaking suspicion it could be right up their alley. I love this series, but it has been quite a while since I'd read the initial installment so was happy to revisit--it certainly holds up. I just listened to the whole thing working in my garden this morning...I really hope they enjoy it and want to keep going--I've already put the next in the series on hold :-)
+10 Task: pub. 2016, 173 pages
+5 Series, "Wayward Children"
+10 Review
+10 Female
+10 Young, born 1978
+15 Prizeworthy: Locus, Nebula, and Hugo Awards for Best Novella
Task total: 60
Season total: 60
10.1 2002 or later + with 100-499 pgsA Death on Corfu by Emily Sullivan
I will unabashedly admit that I chose this book by it’s cover! It looked so charming, just like a cozy should. This is not Sullivan’s first book, but it is her first mystery. Obviously, it is set in Corfu (amongst the British expat community) – not so obvious is the strong female lead and that it is set at the turn of the twentieth Century. The mystery was good, I can’t say that I ‘figured it out’. I also found the different societal demands and expectations added quite a bit to the story. There is a minor/slow burn romantic element, which I usually enjoy in these novels. The ending is such that you know there will be a sequel. Overall, an enjoyable, engrossing and fast read. 4*
10 task (p. 2025, 288 pgs)
10 review
10 female author (btw - this is also an instance where she looks young, but I could not find her age)
_____
30
Running total: 30
15.1 - 763 pagesThe Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Reading The Years of Rice and Salt was not anything like I'd expected, to be honest. I love speculative fiction but alternate histories have never been my thing. However, I found it quite interesting. The whole idea of following someone(s) through their karmic cycles was absolutely fascinating. The most curious thing to me is that this is almost entirely set in China/India/Mongolia/etc. And frames the entire story in an Eastern light rather than the more expected Western cast. I don't know that I'd have chosen this myself originally because it seemed very long winded at times but the story itself was very creative.
+15 task
+5 award (Locus 2003)
+10 review
Task total: 30
Season total: 30
10.1 2002 or later, 100-499 ppHow to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at the End of the World by Robert J. Joustra, 2016, 198 pp
So I was roaming the library shelves looking for a companion piece to a commentary on the Gospel of Mary Magdalene -- which I may or may not be able to use for this challenge -- and nearby I found this little gem. It is a gem because it is funny. It examines a really disturbing topic -- the popularity of apocalypse-oriented entertainment. But it does so very tongue-in-cheek and yet with a true appreciation for the sci-fi elements in such things as Battlestar Galactica, The Hunger Games, and The Walking Dead. I was a Battlestar fan, but have never gotten into the other two. For one thing,I don't like Zombies, except for their Voodoo connections -- the 1940's Val Lewton film I Walked with a Zombie for instance. Thereby comes the connection to my criticism of this book. I find the cultist aspect of voodoo very fightening, as I find most cults frightening. Therefore the Val Lewton film is a good scare about a very real religion. But the writers of this book find the humorous aspects of the more contemporary films a way of laughing off the contemporary Christian view of Armegeddon. I think these types of entertainments can sometimes be embraced too much by contemporary Christian cults who "look forward" to an apoclypse where Christians are reunited with God at the expense of everyone else. Ultimately that seems to be what the authors are doing here, though I am not sure they would agree with my viewpoint. I think they use the silliness of ideas in contemporary entertainments about the Apocalypse to further a conception of the Apocalypse as something God has intended, even if they admit to the silly aspets. It reeks too much of cultish ideas to me, and that's something I find frightening, not funny.
+ 10 task
+ 10 style 6 -- not a novel (nonfiction)
+ 10 review
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 30
10.2 2002 or later, 100 - 499 pp.Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden 2021, 110 pp
a quick re-read of a sci fi novella I still haven't made up my mind about -- so no review.
+ 10 task
+ 10 style 3 -- female author
(I cannot find the author's age, though the pic on her website looks under 50 -- but I'm not going to count it as a young style without verification)
Previous Total: 30
Task Total: 20
Season Total: 50
Nick wrote: "10.2 2002 or later, 100 - 499 pp.Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden 2021, 110 pp
a quick re-read of a sci fi novella I still haven't made up my mind ab..."
Found her age: she was born in 1983, so take the points for Young :-)
10.2 Summer 2026Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg
Oh, I loved this book...
It felt like spending time with my grandma, hearing her stories, seeing the world through her eyes.
It reminded me a little of Gilead, but maybe because they're both essentially really long letters written at the end of the MC's life.
I'm not religious anymore, but I suppose I am still "spiritual" and there were themes in this book that scratched that itch--about finding forgiveness and connectedness and openness and acceptance and joy in the small things and it was tender and had me crying buckets by the end. It was a quiet read and definitely character-driven and I wish my grandma was still around because I think she would have loved this novel. 5*
+10 Task, 208 pages, pub. 2026
+10 Female
+10 Aged, Berg is 77 (b. 1948)
+10 Review
Task total: 40
Season total: 100
***REPOST***10.2 2002 or later, 100 - 499 pp.
Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden 2021, 110 pp
a quick re-read of a sci fi novella I still haven't made up my mind about -- so no review.
+ 10 task
+ 10 style 3 -- female author
+ 10 style 10 -- Young
Previous Total: 30
Task Total: 30
Season Total: 60
10.1 Summer 2026Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance
+10 task - 2014, 389 pages
+10 female
+10 aged
+5 series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 35
10.1 Summer 2026Days in the History of Silence by Merethe Lindstrøm
On the surface, Eva and Simon seem to have a typical marriage with interesting careers and three adult daughters. But they each had traumatic events that they weren't sure they would survive when they were younger. They have kept these secrets from everyone except each other.
The book, translated from the Norwegian, is told in spare prose by the wife, Eva. Her voice is very distant and controlled, as if she doesn't allow herself to feel too deeply. The story slowly allows the reader into the backgrounds of Eva and Simon. Their silence about their pasts should not be mistaken for peace.
+10 task ( Pub 2011, 230 pages)
+10 female
+10 lost in translation (from Norwegian)
+10 prize-worthy (Nordic Council and Norwegian Critics prizes)
+10 review
Task total: 50
Season total: 50
10.3 Summer 2026Blue Is the Warmest Color by Jul Maroh
+10 Task, 156 pages, pub. 2010
no styles, graphic novel
Task total: 10
Season total: 110
10.2 Summer 2026Edge of Evil by J.A. Jance
+10 task - 2005, 252 pgs
+10 female
+10 aged
+5 series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 70
10.2 2002 or later + with 100-499 pgsThe Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon
I had quite enjoyed another of Dixon’s books, and when I saw that my SiL had rated this one highly I thought I add it to the TBR. Of course, who can resist the title! As I was reading this, I was thinking this is an easy 4*, but as I went along I realized I had to give it a 5*. The story has charm, heart, pathos, tension, and there is an adventurous spirit firing it. It takes place in the (maybe) not too distant future where appliances are sentient and the whole world is a dystopia. The first bit of the book is the charming and sad part, then Dixon slowly turns everything up a notch. I think Dixon is younger than me, but if you are ‘of a certain age’ his literary references (and inspirations) are spot on.
10 task (2026, 224 pgs)
10 review
_____
20
Running total: 50
Summer 202610.1 2002 or later with 100-499 pp
Dead in the Familyby Charlaine Harris
Published 2010, 320 pp
Task +10
Aged +10
Series +5
Grand total: 25
10.1 Summer 2026Getting to Know Death: A Meditation by Gail Godwin
+10 task (192 pages, pub. 2024)
+10 aged (born 1937)
+10 female
+10 not-a-novel (non-fiction, memoir)
Task total=40
Season total=40
10.1 Summer 2026The Long and Short of It by Jodi Taylor
+10 Task (462 pages, pub 2017)
+10 Not a Novel (short stories)
+10 Female
+5 Series Chronicles of St Mary’s)
Task total = 35
Season total = 35
15.1 Summer 2026Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett
This is the story of Henry Earlforward, a bookseller in a run-down square near Kings Cross in London, Violet Arb, who runs a nearby confectionery shop, and Elsie, who cleans for both of them. All three are starving for both food and affection (although Henry would deny this). Henry is a miser, Violet is hopeful but doomed to disappointment, and Elsie, a very young war widow (the story begins in 1919), is in love with a mentally unstable young man.
I don’t think this is one of Arnold Bennett’s best novels, but the characters are interesting enough to persist with, and the book has its humorous side. Henry is downright annoying, but Violet and Elsie are engaging in a bleak way.
+15 Task (334 pages, 1923)
+10 Review
Task total = 25
Season total = 25
15.1 Summer 2026Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
This was chosen for my ladies-who-brunch IRL book club. My friend who was born in Italy and who is going there in September with her kids chose it to learn more about the history of the area they'll be visiting.
I have read A LOT of WWII historical fiction/memoir, but not a lot about the war in Italy--other than Catch-22, I can't think of any. This was an incredible story about one boy's (it's hard to call him a "man" when he was 17/18-years-old for the bulk of the story) life during the war, from smuggling Jews over the Alps into Switzerland to spying on a high-ranking Nazi official in Milan. While this is labeled a "novel", it's all based on the interviews the author had with the man who actually lived the story, Pino Lella.
I give the story of heroism 5* but the writing gets 3*...4* overall read.
+15 Task, 509 pages, pub. 2017
+10 Review
Task total: 25
Season total: 135
10.1 2026 - 192 p.
The Shapeless Unease: A Year of Not Sleeping
Samantha Harvey
+10 task
+ 10 3.female
+ 10 4. Lost in translation
+ 10 6. Not a novel
+ 10 8. Review
Total: 50 points
10.8 The memoir is a mix of very different elements: moments of grief for loved ones, the unavoidable finitude of human life, and the sheer exhaustion of insomnia. Writing in a stream-of-consciousness style, the author offers insight into her life, her thoughts, and how sleep deprivation affects her.I particularly enjoyed the reflections on language—specifically how different languages reveal different worlds—as well as the comparison between faith and science as belief systems.This book is definitely not for everyone. Don’t read it if you dislike books where thoughts are the main subject and action is missing.
10. 2 2017 - 352 p.
The Darkness Knows
Arnaldur Indriðason
10 points
+ 10 points (3. lost in translation)
+ 10 points (8. review)
+ 5 points ( 9 series)
Total task: 35 points
Total: 85 points
10.8
I am a fan of Nordic Noir thrillers. When reading a new series, I’m always hoping I’m in for a long treat with several suspenseful books.This book partly met my love for the bleak and grim world of Scandinavian thrillers. Konrad, the MC, is an older man who retired as an active police officer. When a body is found on a glacier, a missing person is finally found after many, many years. Konrad, who worked on this case intensively, cannot prevent himself from getting involved.The novel is okay, but I am not completely convinced. The plot is fine, but the book didn’t fully grip me. I didn’t feel any emotional connection to any of the characters and found the story rather slow. Still, I want to try the next part as there were some very good elements: the life and sorrows of the MC, the unresolved death of his father, and his past.I am curious if the next part will be more convincing.
10.4 Summer 2026Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
+10 Task, 187 pages, pub. 2017
+10 Female
+10 Prizeworthy, RUSA CODES Reading List for Fantasy and ALA Alex Award
+10 Young, born 1978
+5 Series
Task total: 45
Season total: 180
10.1 – >2001 AND <500Fatty : le premier roi d'Hollywood by Nadar
+10 Task
No style points, graphic novel
Task total = 10
Points total = 10
10.3 Summer 2026Web of Evil by J.A. Jance
+10 task 2007, 368 pgs
+10 female
+10 aged
+5 series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 105
10.5 Summer 2026Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
+10 Task, 174 pages, pub. 2018
+10 Female
+10 Young, born 1978
+5 Series
Task total: 35
Season total: 215
10.1. Summer 2026Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman
Pages 244
Pub Year 2026
10 pts 10.1
10 pts Aged
10 pts Review
5 pts Series
This is the 41st title in the Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis series set in Los Angeles Once again there is a startling murder with very ugly overtones and Deleware is called in to use his psychological expertise to help Lt Sturgis solve the case. While a quick read, this series has run its course. Delaware sems to be along for the ride and every once in a while throws in an observation that helps to move the case towards its solution.
The interaction between the two men has become predictable and this book seems to be missing a lot of details that would have been in earlier entries in the series. Generally it reads like a first draft before all the red herrings are added.
If you have enjoyed this series, you will find this to be a quick read, but don’t rush to start this book, the earlier books in the series are much better
Task total: 35 pts
Season total: 35 pts
Post 26
10.1 …
10.1 Summer StylesGraceless by Ruby Landers
I adored this book. But, let's get something out in the open right up front--this is a romance. Everything about the book is softly lit and tinged with the fantasy that love triumphs, that people are honorable, and that people act with careful respect. I haven't managed to find a way to truly live in such a world. Maybe with as much fame and wealth as Savannah Grace has in this book, one can create such a comfortable, respectful space. Maybe. For this reader, the cozy space is part of the escapism of romance novels and I'm happy to just float along in the rainbows.
I liked the #ownvoices aspect of this novel. The novel prominently features a romance involving a non-binary character and treats it with excellent normalcy--the book neither shies from details nor treats the details as surprising or prurient (beyond the general eroticism of a sex scene generally). Hooray for that representation in a book available from hoopla from my library!
I will read the third book in this trilogy to continue with these characters.
+10 Task
+10 Female
+10 Review
+5 Series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 35
10.2 Summer StylesBlack Velvet by Linnea May
This is smut, pure and simple. But what I liked about this one was that it was original. This isn't the same billionaire romance story that's now been written a hundred times. It's also not focused on the trauma history of these characters.
The story traces a high class escort who is starting to think she wants to change paths. She's tiring of the lifestyle and about to quit when her agency opens a new exclusive club and she's convinced to work there. Enter billionaire who likes her. Then enter an interesting interaction between them as he tries to force her to be authentic instead of using the seductive persona that she's perfected over years in the business.
Good chemistry, interesting story. I'd read more by this author.
+10 Task
+10 Female
+10 Review
+5 Series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 70
10.3 Summer StylesThe Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
Meh. The astrology was heavy-handed, the stories all wrapped up too neatly and too quickly, and I never really came to care about this book and this story. If I hadn't been listening to this with my daughter, I might have DNF'd this one. The idea of mystical talking cats was cool, though, so one extra star for the cats.
I can't believe that this is a series with so many books. Maybe they get better further into the series or maybe the interest in the astrology is stronger for some other readers.
I will definitely not be continuing this series.
+10 Task
+10 Female
+10 Review
+5 Series
+10 LiT
+10 Non-western
Task total: 55
Grand total: 125
15.2 Summer 2026Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Everyone I know who has visited Savannah speaks of it in vaunted terms--they adore it, they can't wait to go back, there's a *vibe* unlike any other city...and I've recently started reading a series set there so I was curious to read a non-fiction POV of the city. This one was fascinating (though outdated...sounds like the city has changed A LOT in the 30 intervening years since the book's publication). The cast of characters was divine! The description of the Ladies' Card Guild, with its regimented schedule (there was a set time for drinking water, another for handing out napkins, everything in precise five-minute intervals so everything could be completed in time for the ladies to get home to have dinner ready for their men) was hilarious/ridiculous to this modern, West Coast reader. Lady Chablis was delightful--she would be a hit on RuPaul's Drag Race, irreverent and charismatic in equal measure. The man who walked the ghost dog. The lawyer who houses Uga, the University of Georgia's bulldog mascot. The witch doctor's wife in her purple-lensed glasses. The not-so-closeted man who shot his hustler boyfriend.
I'm still a little dazed that this was all real and not figments of the author's imagination. It was a sepia-toned snapshot of a time and place that now only exists in memory and I was here for it. 4*
+15 Task, 386 pages, pub. 1994
+10 Not-a-Novel
+10 Aged, born 1939
+ 15 Prizeworthy: Exclusive Books Boeke Prize, Ferro-Grumley Award for Gay Fiction (non-fiction), Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery
Task total: 50
Season total: 265
15.1.1988 160 p.
15 points
+ 10 (1. 1001)
+ 10 (3. Female)
+ 10 (4. Lost in translation)
+ 10 (5. Non western)
+ 15 ( 7. Prize worthy)
Total task: 70 points
Total: 155 points
Kitchen
Banana Yoshimoto
4. Read in Dutch
5. Literary awards
Nihon University Department of Arts Prize (1986), Kaien magazine New Writer Prize (1987), Mishima Yukio Prize 三島由紀夫賞 Nominee (1988)
8. Review : Reading this book for the second time, I loved it much more than the first time.The first, very beautiful story about a girl who feels at her best in a kitchen is mainly about loss and grief. At times, the story has surreal elements, but they don’t spoil anything. Instead, they add a unique atmosphere to the narrative. The basic truths about love, grief, self-acceptance, and deep connection make this novel outstanding.I cared less about the second story, though it still has its merits. The shift in tone didn't resonate with me as deeply as the opening narrative. However, the emotional depth of the main story more than makes up for it. Overall, it is a comforting and unforgettable read that I highly recommend.
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10.2 Summer 2026The Mimosa Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu
+10 Task (320 pages, pub 2020)
+10 Non Western (Singapore)
+10 Female
+5 Series (Su Lin)
Task total = 35
Season total = 70
10.3 Er is niks
Elisabeth Lucie Baeten
10 points
+ 10 (3. Female)
+ 10 (6 not a novel)
+ 10 (8. Review)
+ 10 (10. Young)
Points task: 50
Total : 205 points
10.8 translated by AI, written by me
‘Over the past few years, I have always thoroughly enjoyed Elisabeth Lucie Baeten’s videos. Her fight against all kinds of injustice is truly heartwarming. This book tells the story of her own life, focusing primarily on her health: years of illness, ailments, and unexplained medical issues. On top of that, it addresses grief and loss, which she experienced from a young age.Her story feels incredibly relatable—sometimes even too much so. The courage with which she fights through everything, continuing to push forward even during the most difficult times, is truly admirable.The way she shows her fragility and vulnerability, and dares to speak openly about how she truly feels, makes this a compelling read. Fortunately, it is not all doom and gloom; the entire narrative is infused with her signature humor and self-mockery. Because of this, the book never turns into a monotonous lament.In short: beautifully written and absolutely worth reading, especially for those who have chronically ill people in their close circles.’
10. Young: approved https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
15.2 1942- 191 p.
The Body in the Library
Agatha Christie
15 points
+ 10 (2. Aged)
+ 10 (3.female)
+ 10 ( 4. Lost in translation)
+ 10 ( 8. Review)
+ 5 (9. Series)
Task points: 60
Total points: 265 points
2. Born September 15, 1890
Died January 12, 1976
4. Dutch edition
8. Once in a while, I like to read an Agatha Christie novel. They are light, quick reads, perfect for when you are short on time or feeling distracted by everyday life. Among Christie's famous detectives, Miss Marple is by far my favourite, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Body in the Library [2]. A great aspect of this classic mystery is that the killer's identity remains completely hidden until the very end, keeping the suspense alive throughout the story. Additionally, the setting offers a fascinating historical perspective. It is truly incredible to look back and see how class, gossip, and society functioned in rural England not even that long ago. All in all, this cozy detective tale was a very enjoyable read.
9. Miss Marple series
10.2 Summer 2026Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
+10 task (313 pages, pub. 2013)
+10 female
+ 5 prize-worthy (Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year)
Task total=25
Season total=65
10.4 Summer 2026Hand of Evil by J.A. Jance
+10 task 2007, 384 pgs
+10 female
+10 aged
+5 series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 140
10.5 Summer 2026Cruel Intent by J.A. Jance
+10 task 2008, 352 pgs
+10 female
+10 aged
+5 series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 175
15. 3.1973- 256 p.
Postern of Fate
Agatha Christie
15 points
+ 10 (2. Aged)
+ 10 (3.female)
+ 10 ( 4. Lost in translation)
+ 10 ( 8. Review)
+ 5 ( 9. Series)
Task points: 60
Total points: 325 points
2. Born September 15, 1890
Died January 12, 1976
4. Dutch edition
8. Tommy and Tuppence, at an age when most people retire, move to a big house in the country. While they are busy organizing the move and doing necessary renovations, Tuppence finds some old children's books. Inside one of them, she discovers a hidden message left by a boy many years ago. Intrigued by this message, Tuppence (soon helped by Tommy) starts an inquiry to find out if a murder was ever committed in their house.A major theme in the novel is getting old and dealing with a failing memory. This seems logical, given that Tommy and Tuppence are retiring and this was Agatha Christie’s last written book. Sadly, the advanced age of the author might have been an impediment to writing a coherent story.Though I generally like Agatha Christie’s novels, I didn’t care for this one. The plot often seems illogical, and the actions of Tommy and Tuppence are quite strange. All in all, I don’t really recommend it.
9. Tommy and Tuppence series
10.1 Summer 2026Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda
+10 Task: 2019 / 160p
+10 Female
+10 Lost in Translation: Spanish to English
+10 Non-Western: Mexico
+ 5 Prize-Worthy: Premio Nacional de Cuento Joven Comala (2019)
+10 Not-a-Novel: Short Stories
+10 Young: Born 1985 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahlia_... / Approved Questions posts 3 $ 4
Task total = 65
Season total = 65
10.2 Summer 2026Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ
+10 Task: 2020 / 298p
+10 Female
+10 Lost in Translation
+10 Non-Western: Taiwan
+10 Prize-Worthy: National Book Award for Translated Literature (2024), International Booker Prize (2026)
+10 Young: born 1984 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Sh... / Approved Questions posts 3 $ 4
Task total = 60
Season total = 125
20.1 2001 or earlier + with 500+ pgsOblomov by Ivan Goncharov
Oh, Oblomov! What a story! I read the Stephen Pearl translation.
Despite Oblomov’s lack of ‘get up and go’ (literally for much of the novel), you can’t help but be charmed by him. Today, we would refer to him as a lost soul. He just wants to drift through life, enjoying peace and quiet. He is gentle and kind, and despite all the contrary evidence believes the best of everyone.
He is also extremely naïve. This naivety gets him in trouble due to supposed ‘friends’ swindling him. This was hard to read for me, since by this point in the novel I knew how Oblomov went through life but he wasn’t a bad person and I didn’t want him to get hurt. At least he had one true friend who helped him as best as he could (he still couldn’t make Oblomov into a ‘man of action’ though). 4*
20 task (1859, 586 pgs)
10 review
10 1001
10 Lit
10 Non-Western
10 aged
_______
70
Running total: 120
(This was my carry over book - read 43% by end of May 31)
10.2 Summer 2026I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
It's 1989 in Norway, and Arvid Janson is experiencing three upsetting events. His wife of fifteen years wants a divorce. His mother was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer. The newspaper headlines proclaim that the Berlin Wall fell.
Arvid and his mother have always had trouble communicating. His parents sacrificed to send him and his brothers to college so they would not have to work the factory jobs of his parents. But Arvid was influenced by a Communist group to join the "working class" of the factory, dropping out of school and disappointing his mother.
With flashbacks to Arvid's younger days, the book shows how Arvid often regretted the choices he made. Drinking alcohol was a way for him to avoid dealing with emotionally difficult situations. Arvid was also living with his political idealism of the past, and seemed disconnected from the present time.
The book is written in spare language so the reader is sometimes reading between the lines. While I loved Per Petterson's "Out Stealing Horses," I really could not warm up to the characters in this novel as much.
+10 task (233 p, 2008)
+10 lost in translation (from the Norwegian)
+15 prize-worthy (Nordic Council, Brageprisen, and Norwegian Critics prizes)
+10 review
+ 5 series (Arvid Jansen series)
Task total: 50
Season total: 100
10.3 Summer 2026The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
In "The Lost Year" thirteen-year-old Matthew is helping his Ukrainian-American great-grandmother, called GG, sort through boxes of her belongings. He comes upon an old photo of GG with her cousin when they were teenagers, and asks about their lives. Matthew is trying to fill the hours at home during the Covid pandemic, and becomes very involved in learning his family's history during the devastating famine in Ukraine in 1932 and 1933.
Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union and governed by repression. After instituting collectivization on the farms of Ukraine, Stalin sent almost all the grain to other parts of the Soviet Union or sold it to finance other projects. Over a million people starved to death in Ukraine during the Holodomor. Stalin also refused to issue visas so that the starving people could travel from the countryside to other parts of the Soviet Union. The stories of three young teenagers--GG and her cousin in Ukraine, and another cousin in New York City--during the 1930s came to life as Matthew goes through the boxes of GG's photos and other memorabilia.
The book also explores the skills of a good reporter and interviewing primary sources. Stalin had not allowed reporters into the Ukrainian countryside and just gave them an official story full of misinformation. I could see "The Lost Year" being read in schools to teach about the suppression of history, the art of accurate journalism, and the spread of misinformation by some governments.
The book contains lots of interesting historical information written for a middle school reader or older. It also has chapters about the frustrations of being isolated at home during Covid that today's teens can still remember. The book is written at a 710 Lexile level so even adults can find it fascinating.
+10 task (384 p, 2023, 710 Lexile)
+10 female
+10 review
+10 prize-worthy (Jan Addams and Oklahome Sequoyak awards)
Task total: 40
Season total: 140
15.2 Summer 2026Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson
A feminist historical novel with elements of magical realism and dual timeline. Dog Woman is an exceptionally large woman living alone in 17th century London when she pulls a baby out of the Thames and names him Jordan. She stomps through the Civil War, Puritan parliamentary government (to which she is violently opposed), bubonic plague and Fire of London, while Jordan grows up and begins to explore unknown distant lands, meeting mythical characters.
I mildly enjoyed this book while reading, but a discussion group helped me see more depth to it and increase my rating from 3 stars to 4.
+15 Task (1989)
+10 1001
+10 Female
+10 Review
Task total = 45
Season total = 70
15.1 2002+ and over 400 ppBach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by John Eliot Gardiner, 2013, 672 pp.
+ 15 task
+ 10 style 2 -- age, author is currently 80 yrs.
+ 10 style 6 -- Not a novel (biography/music)
Previous Total: 60
Task Total: 35
Season Total: 95
10.42003 - 317
Moneyball
Michael Lewis
10 points
+ 10 (4. Lost in translation)
+ 10 (6. Not a novel)
+ 10 (7. Prize worthy)
+ 10 (8. Review)
Total task: 50 points
Total: 375 points
4. Read in Dutch
7. Literary awards
Casey Award (2003), Listen-Up Award (2011)
8.After a short career as a professional baseball player, Billy Beane moved to the operational side of the sport. As general manager of the financially constrained Oakland Athletics, he had to find innovative ways to compete against wealthy teams. Consequently, he abandoned traditional scouting methods and stopped focusing on overpriced star players. Instead, he relied heavily on statistics and sabermetrics to find undervalued talent.For a reader without prior baseball knowledge, the book is challenging yet fascinating. It brilliantly demonstrates how financial limitations force creative thinking and how challenging deep-rooted traditions with a data-driven perspective can get extraordinary results.
10.3 Summer 2026Reality and Other Stories by John Lanchester
+10 task (192 pages, pub. 2020)
+10 not-a-novel (short stories)
Task total=20
Season total=85
10.3 Summer 2026Killing Time by Jodi Taylor
+10 Task (464 pages, pub 2024)
+10 Female
+5 Series (The Time Police)
Task total = 25
Season total = 95
10.3 2002 or later + with 100-499 pgsThe Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
This was a fun and propulsive read. I particularly liked the structure of the novel. We follow various passenger’s stories in the journey between stations. I didn’t know anything about this historical event, which was a good thing as this made the tension Donoghue develops in the story very real – you of course know there is a ‘disaster’ (as per GR) but you don’t know why or how. The main characters are interesting and provide a ‘real slice of life’ from 1890s Paris. There are a lot of minor characters to keep track of though, and I sometimes had difficulty with this. Donoghue is very good at descriptive writing, and one of my favorites is when Maurice (a young boy) has his first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower! 3*
10 task (2025, 274 pgs)
10 female author
10 review
_____
30
Running total: 150
10.6 Summer 2026Trial by Fire by J.A. Jance
+10 task - 2009, 368 pgs
+10 female
+10 aged
+5 series
Task total: 35
Grand total: 210
Reading with Style
Books mentioned in this topic
High Rollers (other topics)Winds of Change (other topics)
The Conference of the Birds (other topics)
The Gabriel Hounds (other topics)
Children of the Storm (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jack Bowman (other topics)Belinda Bauer (other topics)
Mercedes Lackey (other topics)
Attar of Nishapur (other topics)
Mary Stewart (other topics)
More...
Please use the add book/author link for the book titles and include a link to both title and author in your post.
If using an outside source to qualify a book for points, please be sure to post in the Questions thread prior to posting in this thread.
Note: the database can only check five styles per post, so we may not pick up so many missed style points this season.
Sample Post
15.5 Summer 2026
Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges
[100-word review goes here]
+15 Task (174 pages, pub. 1944)
+10 Aged (1899-1986)
+10 Non-Western (born & lived in Argentina)
+ 5 Prize-Worthy (1 prize)
+10 1001
+10 Lost in Translation (from Spanish)
+10 Not a Novel (short stories)
+10 Review
Task total = 80
Season total = 540 (assuming mid-season and 460 points have been claimed before)