Litsy

MS Readathon Rocks Kool's School: Lessons Learned | Bruce Foster

I took a bit of a social media break this week so I'm just now posting all my reading challenge updates. I spent most of the rainy Memorial Day weekend reading on my porch or crocheting on my couch, it was relaxing.
I didn't finish any of the books I had planned for the #20in4 readathon but one, instead getting distracted by shiny new books 😅 Still, I'm happy to have read as much as I did
@Andrew65

Andrew65 Thanks for playing along and well done on the reading you did get done. 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂 1d

TEArificbooks Beautiful view 1d

38 likes2 comments

SamAnne

Greenwood | Michael Christie

so-so

I thought this would be a 5 star read for me. A generational story set from 1908 and 2038 in Canada, focused on timber, trees & forests. A family‘s relationship to them as timber barons, forest protection activists, carpenters. Beautiful writing, some characters I loved. But a little too much telling than showing. Some actions by characters not believable. Some forest science totally off the mark. Did he not read Finding the Mother Tree?

SamAnne Also, what I finished for #20in4 in addition to finishing Matriz by Lauren Groff. Mostly audio, got more than 13 hours in! Thank you @Andrew65 ! 1d

SamAnne Back to Greenwood: the author writes beautifully about interacting with wood as a carpenter. But he doesn‘t nail (hah! pun intended) the forest ecology. While the storyline weaves in the destruction of Canada‘s primeval forests, the novel seemed derisive of the people trying to stop that destruction. I grew up in a logging town. Made me a forest protection activist. It didn‘t sit well. 1d

SamAnne So I‘m a harsh critic of this book I‘m sure. Best tree focused books in my opinion? The Overstory! Floored me. Old school, set in the country I grew up in: Sometimes A Great Notion by Ken Kesey. Oh, he captures my homeland perfectly. A forest focused book I liked less than this one? Barkskins by Annie Proulx. Needed an editor even more than this one. 1d

See All 10 Comments

Andrew65 Well done on an excellent Readathon and thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂
Shame this book wasn‘t better as it sounds ideal, but I hate it when some books slip too much into a telling role.. 1d

CaitlinR Great review! 1d

Tamra Shoot, I have this one marked TBR. 24h

JuniperWilde I wanted to love this, too. Sadly, I read The Overstory first so my expectations were high and I found this very disappointing. Midway I decided to speed read my way to the ending. 13h

SamAnne @Andrew65 me too. Drives me nuts. 2h

SamAnne @Tamra again, I‘m probably being hard in the book only because I know some of subject matter well. Besides some “too much telling,” much of the writing is beautiful and he captures settings really well. But I did have issues with characters—their story arcs and motivations did not ring true to me. 2h

SamAnne @JuniperWilde glad I‘m not the only one. The Willow character did not ring true for me and he seemed derisive of those wanting to save the forest. I relished the complex characters in The Overstory, Powers‘ excellent understanding of forest ecology. I also enjoy some spot on satire and skewering of activist culture—having been part of it—and Birnam Wood did it beautifully! But Willow in this one was flat and 2-dimensional IMO. 2h

40 likes10 comments

mom2bugnbee

Readathon: Occasional List : Geleentheidslys | Gauteng (South Africa). Education Media Service

Welp, I didn't get any reading done on Sunday or Monday, but I'll take my two day total of 12 hours 16 minutes during #20in4, especially since I've been in a huge slump recently! Thanks for the push @Andrew65! Onward!

9 likes

OutsmartYourShelf

Game | Shirley Day

so-so

Scratch, Becca, and Finn were childhood friends who grew up loving to scare themselves by visiting an old creepy farmhouse on the escarpment. The farmhouse was owned by 'Old Man Byrde', a man who sat in the window writing in an old book which Scratch said had belonged to the devil. The friends wanted to know what he wrote, but contented themselves with playing 'Knock Down Ginger' until the night Byrde ended up dead. (Continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Years later, Becca & Scratch have been married for over 20 years & have 5 kids, whilst Finn has never married...up until now. Finn invites his two oldest friends on a stag weekend & Becca is disturbed to find out that it will take place at Byrde's old farmhouse.

The narrative is from Becca's point of view & the reader gradually learns about the true dynamics of the friendship. I really enjoyed 'Reap What You Sow' written by the author, 2d

OutsmartYourShelf but this book was unfortunately rather repetitive & meandering in places, where Scratch & Finn would disappear off out & Becca would be left on her own, feeling vulnerable in the old house. I also felt that the paranormal horror aspect of it was underutilised & it could have been a much scarier read. Becca was also rather passive & I just wanted her to actually DO something instead of just existing. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf It did start to pick up towards the end though & although I guessed where it was going to go, my rating has been bumped up based on the last few chapters. Verdict: a bit of a missed opportunity but the ending just about saved it. 3⭐

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5439125923

Read: 26th-29th May 2023

#20in4 @andrew65 2d

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 2d

26 likes4 comments

Read4life

MS Readathon Rocks Kool's School: Lessons Learned | Bruce Foster

#20in4 stats

I hit my goal of 20+ hours reading, finished 4 books & kept up with 3 buddy reads.
Thanks for hosting, @Andrew65

Andrew65 Brilliant, thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂 2d

42 likes1 comment

Cailey_Mac

Electric Idol | Katee Robert

Welp, my #20in4 reading was pretty minimal, but I enjoyed what I was reading so that‘s what counts! I ended up splitting my time between Electric Idols and The Carrow Haunt, so I‘m about halfway through the later and so so close to finishing Electric Idol!

13 likes

Bookwormjillk

Readathon: Occasional List : Geleentheidslys | Gauteng (South Africa). Education Media Service

Thanks @Andrew65 for las weekend‘s Readathon. May flew by but #20in4 was great motivation to finish up a few books I had planned on reading for various challenges. Looking forward to next month already!

Andrew65 That‘s great, thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂 (edited) 2d

52 likes1 comment

Areader2

Untitled | Unknown

Well I finished the last 15 chapters in Ash and the Star Cursed King and read 13 chapters in Fourth Wing I exceeded my goal of 20 chapters #20in4
Thanks @Andrew65

Andrew65 That‘s excellent, thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂 2d

20 likes1 comment

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