Reading with Style discussion

Read a book you want to rave about? Want to chat about another's read? This is the place!

In the Complete Tasks thread, Rebekah wrote:

Ann wrote: "10.10 Group Reads

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

I hated this book.
It’s awful. To get through it I drank more than one cocktail and was eating Nutella right o..."

I know it’s gruesome. I had to read the comedy, No Time for Sergeants afterwards as well as go donate some toys and books to the Children’s Advocacy Center. I also feel the same way you do about Most of Thomas Hardy’s books. The problem is, this is based on a true happening. You’ll be happy to know the school was finally closed in 2011, however Troy Tidwell whom the character Maynard Spencer was never prosecuted as of 2014, even though he was deposed in court for a hearing in 2010 in which “ no grounds for prosecution” were found against the staff.
However Hurricane Michael caused damage that exposed hidden graves and other evidence of abuse that was then further investigated and caused a stir and further investigation, leading to nation wide reports and ultimately the book by Whitehead. There is an organization of the survivors and although the books seems to indicate otherwise, the truth was it was not racial but a crime against children of more than one race.
https://theofficialwhitehouseboys.org/

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "In the Complete Tasks thread, Rebekah wrote:

Ann wrote: "10.10 Group Reads

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

I hated this book.
It’s awful. To get through it I drank more than one cocktail and..."

I think the basis in facts is what made this book so hard to bear. I kept thinking about the real school, and how it was not the only one of its kind (see Indian Schools).
Even though it was far from a pleasant read, it’s good to read the hard things. It was a good choice for a Group Read - just future readers, have something light on standby!

Ann wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "In the Complete Tasks thread, Rebekah wrote:

Ann wrote: "10.10 Group Reads

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

I hated this book.
It’s awful. To get through it I drank..."
Some of the Whitehouse boys are trying their hand at writing.
Robert Kiser wrote a few books and founded The Whitehouse boys group that speak at events and fought hard to have the graves exhumed and bodies identified.

http://thewhitehouseboys.com/

This is a different website than the one I posted earlier that’s “official whitehouse boys.” Lots of pictures from then and now. A

Elizabeth, I just saw you read All This I Will Give to You. I had read it last month but hadn't decided until this month if I would use it for another round of Name of the Game or for the regular challenge. Now I'm getting around to writing a review.

It was emotional for me as well and I pretty much agree with your review but I wonder if the overwritten and trite parts could have been from the translation? Maybe to native Spanish speakers it had a different sound or feeling. I always wonder about that when thinking about a book I read that has been translated. It makes it difficult when giving a rating or review because I always want to give the benefit of the doubt to the author, especially if I really like the book overall.

The very few places I noticed this were in descriptions of the weather or places that had already been described and didn't need further elaboration. I'm not sure my very slight annoyance could be attributed to translation.

But please note that I gave this book 5-stars, which is a very unusual rating for me given the genre. I haven't yet decided on my group reads book for Spring, but this is one of the titles I am considering. (And even if I don't, it qualifies for both Opposite and Crime. It is available on the Kindle in the US for 99 cents. Just saying.)

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "The very few places I noticed this were in descriptions of the weather or places that had already been described and didn't need further elaboration. I'm not sure my very slight annoyance could be ..."

'....it qualifies for both Opposite and Crime".... Duly noted! I think this is one of the books that I picked up because of a 'world authors' promotion on Amazon. I may have to bump it up on the TBR list!

If and when you read it, I hope you really like Manuel Ortigosa.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "The very few places I noticed this were in descriptions of the weather or places that had already been described and didn't need further elaboration. I'm not sure my very slight annoyance could be ..."

I didn’t pick up on that but I listened to the audiobook so I probably missed that. like to listen to the book when the author is from another country to hear the proper pronunciations of foreign words and nothing beats hearing Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George Eliot etc.. in the British accent.

By the way audio prime members now get a large selection of free books now that they add monthly. The book I just listened to that took place in Albania was one as well as my new favorite detective, Inspector Montalbano in Sicily. They have a few classics as well.

I don't do audio. My mind wanders.

For Rosemary - had you read any of the Commissioner Montalbano books before? Did you enjoy it?

Rebekah wrote: "For Rosemary - had you read any of the Commissioner Montalbano books before? Did you enjoy it?"

I'm not Rosemary, but here is my response anyway.

Montalbano is good. I have read only The Shape of Water. While I gave that 3-stars that is not a so-so rating from me for the genre. You can see my review here.

I have not managed to get to the next one in the series though I have put it on my list more than one season. It seems there are too many shiny things out there!

(Haha! I see I said I hoped to read the next before May 2021!)

Yes, it was the first one I'd read too, and I did enjoy it. I listened to it as an audiobook, which was perhaps a mistake because I enjoyed audiobooks on my walks in the winter, but now our weather is lovely and there is much more to see. So I wasn't concentrating as well as I might have.

But I gave it 4 stars, which is probably equivalent to Elizabeth's 3 because I will go up to 5 stars for any genre. And I would definitely read more of the series, although I don't possess any others yet... I will look out for them.

Are you a fan, Rebekah?

I’ve become one. I’ve listened to two on audio and read one. I prefer audio when the books are placed in other countries or written in another language so I can hear proper pronunciations and accents. I just love how he psychoanalyzed himself and I get a kick out of the characters on his team.

Book Chat! I had forgotten about this thread until Elizabeth mentioned it again in the Socializing thread about faves from Spring 2021.

I'll get to that....... but I have to say >holey smokes I am listening to Midnight Riot (for London). OMG, it's been awhile time since a book grabbed my by my throat/brain/?? and I've been SO excited. I'm sure unless it goes south badly it will get a very high rating. In a way I'm glad I am listening to this book rather than reading because, for me anyway, this would be 'I can't put it down until I'm finished' book. Now I understand why on one of the library's ebook sites it is a 6 month wait.

Kathleen asked about books we were enthused about over the spring season. I'll be the first to admit I am generally a generous rater (which may be helpful for this season's 15 challenge).

Over the course of the spring challenge I rated these 5* (and yes, I will enter them into the GR db soon if you don't see them now):

Nutshell => I'm a fan of his, so that may be worth keeping in mind.
A Woman's Life
The Siege
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Piranesi
The Song of Achilles
A Town Like Alice => there is a reason this book is on the 1001 list .... a straight forward well told story
The Ten Thousand Doors of January

OMG Ann!

That Door is the coolest thing! I loved the Wayward Children books and I'm completely in love with your picture of that door. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Joanna wrote: "OMG Ann!

That Door is the coolest thing! I loved the Wayward Children books and I'm completely in love with your picture of that door. Thanks for sharing that with us."


So, would you go through? I tweeted it and tagged Seanan and Ursula Vernon, because to me it was less a door to my own tailored world, and more a portal to a horrible pocket dimension (it was giving me very bramble-tunnel-of-DOOM-Twisted-Ones vibes) but both of them said they would have climbed through!

Ann wrote: "So, would you go through? "

As a child, I could have played there all day. What fun we would have had!

Yes! I would go through!

Ann, I took the liberty of posting your photo on my family group chat. My 35- and 36-year old granddaughters said they would "totally walk through it".

Hah…. Despite me trying to be logical and rooted in “reality” I have a huuuuge magical thinking streak. While I kinda want to risk the needles and thorns and hop through, my magic brain says “noooooooo!” I’m fairly convinced that I would go through and things would look the same, but I would have created a divergent timeline. And slowly I’d notice and start going mad… or end up with the TVA after me.

(ETA - TVA is a Loki/Marvel reference and I’d probably not have a fun agent, but one that was quick to deploy the erase-from-all-realities stick)

The girls don't know the story from Seanan McGuire, but I did include with the sharing of the photo that there is another "kingdom" on the other side. My daughter responded to their "totally": 'Brave women'!

You may have noticed I'm not a fantasy reader. I need my reading to be reality based. But I so appreciate that many of you do read the genre and your enthusiasm for books you love is infectious. And then there is the knowing that when I was a child, I may not have actually seen an alternate world on the other side of the door, but fantasizing its existence would have been "totally" the point.

I read Elizabeth's review of Old City Hall with interest. I think I will definitely give it a try. We lived in Toronto for 13 years, and I've found (sort of recently) that I quite enjoy reading books that are set in the Greater Toronto Area. It really adds a lot for me.

I thought of you when reading it, Valerie. I'm glad that you want to check on it.

Valerie wrote: "15.7 TDoS

The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell

Well, who knew that novels about sieges were my ‘thing’. ..."

I'm so glad you liked this one, Valerie. I think it is the best of Farrell's trilogy.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "15.7 TDoS

The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell

Well, who knew that novels about sieges were my ‘thing’. ..."

I'm so glad you liked this one, Val..."

I haven't had the opportunity to read the other 2. As it is, this one was only available via interlibrary loan so I feel lucky that I got it. This is a book I feel like it would be worth owning. It really is a shame he died a few years later.

Yes. We can only dream about the books he might have given to us.

Can anyone tell me whether Tears of the Giraffe will qualify for Riding the Metro? that is...is the book set at least 75% in Gabarone?

Ed wrote: "Can anyone tell me whether Tears of the Giraffe will qualify for Riding the Metro? that is...is the book set at least 75% in Gabarone?"

I didn't want you to think I was ignoring this question....! I am pretty sure the answer is yes, but it has been a long time since I read that instalment. That may be too vague for you, so perhaps someone else can chime in.

Valerie wrote: "Ed wrote: "Can anyone tell me whether Tears of the Giraffe will qualify for Riding the Metro? that is...is the book set at least 75% in Gabarone?"

I didn't want you to think I was igno..."

Thanks Valerie.

Last month, I read Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow. I have since acquired the next two in the series. So now Amazon is pitching legal thrillers to me. Not John Grisham, surprisingly. but John Lescroart and Steve Martini. The 15-watt utility light bulb came on in my head and I remembered tucked behind other books I already had a Lescroart and it has been brought out where I can see it. I had not heard of Martini and will explore.

Has anyone read in this genre? Who do you like?

Elizabeth, I have read The Second Chair and gave it 4*. However, I have never read anything by Steve Martini. I also read Presumed Innocent and enjoyed it, although my copy contained a whole section that was duplicated.

I'm in shock that I've won the random award for Summer! There are a bunch of indie published ebooks I've been meaning to get so this is perfect. On the list:

The Stone Wētā by Octavia Cade

Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

Sing Anyway by Anita Kelly

...with room for a few more yet. Thank you, mods!!

Congrats, Kazen!

Those look like fun, Kazen!

Congratulations, Kazen! I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding books ;)

For Anika
I saw you read Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive . What did you think about it?

I found it a real eye-opener. I had read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich and was one of those books I recommend if not outright buy for people who arrogantly state minimum wage shouldn’t be raised because high school kids don’t need to make so much money and besides it will increase inflation. I point out inflation in the past few years has been skyrocketing without a raise in several years so with that logic I blame inflation on everyone making middle-high income wages who got raises over the last decade.
Those who live in a comfortable world assume only high school and retired people are making minimum wage as extra spending money will start blaming the single moms and others I point out are getting minimum wages and it costs more to work than to get welfare checks. I’ll get “well they should have used birth control” which is usually stated by a man.
Anyway it has been substituted for the other to hand out to people who need some remedy for their ignorance. A few have actually been surprised not realizing how you can never get ahead. The Nickel and Dimed book is very good too but it is the account of a journalist who went “undercover” to see if she could live on low paying jobs whereas Maid is a woman living it out of necessity.

Do you have social justice books you recommend for people who have no way of knowing?

I have always hoped that Reading with Style can be one of the few places on the internet where politics and political opinions are not discussed.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I have always hoped that Reading with Style can be one of the few places on the internet where politics and political opinions are not discussed."

What if it’s a political book?

Rebekah wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I have always hoped that Reading with Style can be one of the few places on the internet where politics and political opinions are not discussed."

What if it’s a politic..."

Your reviews are welcome.

Valerie wrote: "20.4 The Fighting Temeraire

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame"

Oh, thank you for posting this book.

Years ago (maybe 30?) my daughter mentioned that this was her favorite childhood book, how she looked forward to going to bed so that she could listen to me reading it. I happened to be in a used book store and found a very good first edition, which I bought for her birthday.

And now that I am again reminded of that happy connection, I'll look for something more contemporary to give to Brielle, my great granddaughter. It is such a fun story and I think Brielle will become quite the reader, not just for this book, but for all time.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "20.4 The Fighting Temeraire

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame"

Oh, thank you for posting this book.

Years ago (maybe 30?) my daughter mentione..."


That will be a nice gift! I didn't say this in my review, but it really is timeless as well.

I bet my granddaughter would love to listen to it as well. Thank you so much for the reminder.

For Exception to the Rule, I read Nights at the Alexandra. Joanna changed her mind about the combos, but it didn’t change my opinion of the book which I loved.

I’m so glad that this season provided a place for this, else it would have gone languishing on my shelves for seasons yet to come. I never give 5 stars to very short books and the last line of my review says “never say never”.