Reading with Style discussion

20.5 - In honor of Emma, read a book written by a woman with a single female narrator/main character.

I am thinking The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver would work for this task, but I am still looking for other options.

Maybe The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova or Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

I have quite a few penciled in for this one, and I will be hard-pressed to choose:

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf too many main characters
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Evelina by Fanny Burney
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
The Blindness of the Heart by Julia Franck
The Worst Thing I've Done: A Novel by Ursula Hegi

Bea wrote: "I am thinking The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver would work for this task, but I am still looking for other options.

Maybe The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova or Daughter of Fortune by Isabel All..."

All good choices, although the Allende might be the one I liked most of those three.

Would an autobiography of a woman such as Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman's March to the Governorship or a biography of a woman written by a woman work?

itpdx wrote: "Would an autobiography of a woman such as Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman's March to the Governorship or a biography of a woman written by a woman work?"

Yes, these will work! Enjoy!

What about a book that has more than one narrator and only some are women, for example:

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Small Island by Andrea Levy

Joanna wrote: "What about a book that has more than one narrator and only some are women, for example:

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Small Island by Andrea Levy"

It looks like each of these would work. We only need a female narrator and/or main character. The Waters book has several, and, since a female is mentioned in the description as one person through whom the Levy story is told, it would appear it should also qualify.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "It looks like each of these would work. We only need a female narrator and/or main character. The Waters book has several, and, since a female is mentioned in the description as one person through whom the Levy story is told, it would appear it should also qualify...."

I need to figure out better wording for the task description -- the intent was for a work with a single narrator who is female. Multiple-narrated books would not fit.

Yes and probably the large majority of books have a woman somewhere among the main characters. I can think of some that don't, but they're a minority. So I read it as meaning that there is one clear main character or narrator, and she is female.

Yep, I didn't get the thrust of the task correct. I've crossed off the Half of a Yellow Sun book, because it clearly doesn't fit. First up for me will be Mrs. Dalloway, and we'll see what comes after that.

On the Wikipedia list for posthumous publications Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft is listed as having the last few chapters finished by William Godwin. Does that mean it would not get combo points for this task, or would it still qualify?

Karen GHHS wrote: "On the Wikipedia list for posthumous publications Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft is listed as having the last few chapters finished by William Godwin. Does that mean it would..."

From the FAQ: "For author-based tasks, how are books with multiple authors treated?
The primary author (the author listed first on the cover) must qualify for the task for the book to be eligible."

Since the book was published after the death of the primary author, it will qualify for this task.

Would Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple work? The first 3/4 of the book is a collection of "emails, invoices, school memos, private correspondence, and other evidence" collected and woven together with interspersed commentary by Bernadette's daughter, Bee, as she's trying to find her mother who has disappeared (and though the items might have been written by other people, they are ostensibly collected and ordered by Bee, so even still she is directing the narrative). The last 1/4 appears to be entirely Bee's narration without the "other evidence."

Would The Paris Wife by Paula McLain be and acceptable book for this tasks?

the new Flavia de Luce and the new Maisie Dobbs books are out!
Yeah!

Oy. I guess I need clarification--when you say "single female narrator/main character" does single mean "only one" or "unmarried" (as Emma fits both of these descriptions, I'm not sure which the task is referring to)?

If it's "only one," then Where'd You Go, Bernadette should work--I just finished reading it and THE main character, the person the entire plot revolves around, is a woman (Bernadette).

If it's "unmarried," then the fact that Bee has compiled and narrated the book hopefully makes this book a viable option.

side note: LOVED THIS BOOK!! One of my favorites in quite a while...read the entire thing on the red-eye from PDX to JFK last night. Brilliant!

It means "only one", who may or may not be married. ;-) Thanks for asking, Anika.

thank you for the clarification! :-)

So, am I right that a book that followed one main female character for half the book and then a different main female character for the 2nd half of the book would not qualify? (Asking for combo points for books on my upcoming task list;)

Karen GHHS wrote: "So, am I right that a book that followed one main female character for half the book and then a different main female character for the 2nd half of the book would not qualify? (Asking for combo poi..."

That is correct, she doesn't make the grade. (Too bad, too, I had to strike a couple of options off my list.)

But remember, this is the narrator or the MAIN character. It doesn't mean there aren't other female characters.

Jane from BC wrote: "Would The Paris Wife by Paula McLain be and acceptable book for this tasks?"

Jane, I haven't read the book, and unfortunately I can't tell if it qualifies from the description.

Is there any age limitation for the main female character? Can she be 10?
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden

Karen GHHS wrote: "Is there any age limitation for the main female character? Can she be 10?
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden"

The only qualification is that she be female.

Would this book Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good by Chantel Hobbs?

Camille wrote: "Would this book Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good by Chantel Hobbs?"

I'm going to say no to this book. It seems to be more of a self-help/how-to book than a narration about a woman's life.

Would this qualify?

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Looking for more combo points--thanks!

Camille wrote: "Would this qualify?

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Looking for more combo points--thanks!"

Liz usually answers this type of post and she is working several 14 hour shifts this month. It might be a few days before she gets to it.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Camille wrote: "Would this qualify?

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Looking for more combo points--thanks!"

Liz usually answers this type of post and she i..."

Thank you! I will be patient--I may go ahead and post with the combo and then I can make corrections as needed.

Camille wrote: "Would this qualify?

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Looking for more combo points--thanks!"

I'm having a tough time with this one; it's been a really long time since I've read it. It's non-fiction and shelved under poverty which makes it hard to call her a narrator, but since I think she looks at poverty through her personal experience of it, I'll take it.

Thanks, Liz. It's only for combo, but every little bit helps. :)

Liz M wrote: "Camille wrote: "Would this qualify?

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Looking for more combo points--thanks!"

I'm having a tough time with this one; it's bee..."

Liz, after finishing the book and thinking on it last night, I'm NOT choosing to claim the 20.5 combo points for this book. She does tell it from her perspective, but spends a great deal of the book citing research and statistics about poverty. Thanks!

Ok, thanks!

Far too late into the challenge, I realized we had neglected to adequately address non-fiction works in this task description.

Don (The Book Guy) wrote: "I Capture the Castle I want to be sure this book is acceptable since it is my final read for this set of challenges."

It looks like it's good to go. Written by a female, narrated by a female, lexile score over 900. Hope you enjoy it!