Little ship of fools : 16 rowers, 1 improbable boat, 7 tumultuous weeks on the Atlantic by Charles Wilkins

★★★½

GENRE: Memoir
SUBJECT: effort to row across the Atlantic
Setting: Atlantic Ocean
CHARACTERS: Charles Wilkins, Tom Butscher
DATE READ: June 13 - June 30
NO. OF PAGES: 302
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI ,  GEOCAT
SOURCE: Public Library

PLOT:....................................................................3.50

CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.50

TOPICS: ...............................................................3.50

STYLE:..................................................................3.50

ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.50

ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.50

OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.50

Threshold Quality.................................................3.50

Average..............................................................................................3.50

Turn your imagination on.  Picture yourself on a rowboat designed like a catamaran with an area of 8 small bunks and 8 rowing positions.  There is one very small cabin for eating.  You are assigned a bunk and a rowing position and for the next 7 WEEKS you will row for two hours, sleep/eat for two hours, and repeat.  You will continue in this sequence even when your body is exhausted, you have no food and you will begin to wonder if you will ever see land again.

A great adventure story.

Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn by William Mann

 ★★★¼

GENRE: Biography
SUBJECT: Life of Katharine Hepburn
Setting: Connecticut, Hollywood
CHARACTERS: Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, George Cukor, Thomas Hepburn
DATE READ: June 17 - June 29
NO. OF PAGES: 656
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: ARD stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.50
STYLE:..................................................................3.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.00
Average..............................................................................................3.19 


Just about every biography of Katharine Hepburn was written and influence by Katharine Hepburn herself, however, this book was undertaken after her death and the research that was used were paper trails -  itineraries of ships, trains, planes, along with schedules for theater shows, etc.  Mann also explored her sexuality in a way not previously defined.  He insinuates at times that she was gay, transgender, bisexual, but never comes to a conclusion.  

However, I'm not sure how well we can accept the stories that he tells.  Someone else's life will always seem different to other people than to the person who lived it.

This book said many things about  Katharine Hepburn as well as Spencer Tracy, George Cukor, and Howard Hughes but whether you care to believe it, is your choice.

Richard Castle's Deadly Storm by Brian Michael Bendis

 ★★¾

GENRE: Graphic Novel
SUBJECT:
Setting:
CHARACTERS:
DATE READ: June 15 - June 16
NO. OF PAGES: 285
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: Public Library

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................2.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.00
STYLE:..................................................................2.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................2.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................2.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................2.50
Threshold Quality.................................................2.50
Average..............................................................................................2.63 


I've always told myself that I would  try a graphic novel and when this one debutted I thought it would be perfect.  However, I have not changed my mind, a graphic novel is not a real book, IMO, it is just a comic "book".

This graphic "novel" was too difficult to follow for a novice of the "genre". The artwork left something to be desired and the story seemed missing in focus.

The Proposal by Mary Balogh

★★★½

GENRE: Romance
SUBJECT: class differences
Setting: England
CHARACTERS: Hugo Emes (Trentham), Lady Gwendoline Muir
DATE READ: June 9 - June 13
NO. OF PAGES: 285
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: ebook stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................3.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.00
STYLE:..................................................................4.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.50
Threshold Quality.................................................3.50
Average..............................................................................................3.50 

What I loved about this story was the fact that the hero (shy yet strong and family-oriented)  puts aside his own feelings and decides that he needs to marry to advance his sister's prospects.  With the help of friends he meets and begins to court a widow who has a physical handicap.  The love story that evolves shows that what's on the inside is far more important than what's on the the outside.

Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

 ★★½

GENRE: Classics
SUBJECT: traveling discussions, morality
Setting: Medieval England
CHARACTERS: Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook, Friar, Nun's Priest
DATE READ: April 15 - June 8
NO. OF PAGES: 912
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: ebook stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................2.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................2.00
STYLE:..................................................................2.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................2.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................2.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................2.00
Threshold Quality.................................................2.00
Average..............................................................................................2.31

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by pilgrims in Medieval England who are going to  pray at Canterbury Cathedral.  Chaucer uses characters from all aspects of the society - knights,  merchants, tradesmen, religious - allowing the human nature to be revealed where the 7 Deadly Sins (pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust) are counterbalanced by virtues (humility, contentment, patience, fortitude, mercy, moderation, chastity).

The tales at times were a bit boring while others were funny and a bit lewd.   There were love stories, morality tales, fables, and satires.  The characters each seem to have a quality that added something to their story.

Sometime I may try to find a translation in Modern English and see if I enjoy the stories more.

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

 ★★★★

GENRE: Fantasy
SUBJECT: Fairy tale continuation
Setting: Gutefehia
CHARACTERS: Snow White, Prince Charming, The Mirror, Lady Arglist, Duke Gewissenhoft
DATE READ: June 3 - June 7
NO. OF PAGES: 155
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: ebook from author for review

PLOT:....................................................................4.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................4.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................4.00
STYLE:..................................................................3.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................4.00
Threshold Quality.................................................4.00
Average..............................................................................................4.00

…and they lived happily ever after.  Fairy tales always end with those words, but did you ever wonder what happened?  This book takes the story of Snow White to the ever after and tells the reader what happened before and after the Dwarfs.

We see how Snow White's evil stepmother treated her, how Snow White escaped to the forest, her treatment upon her return, and life with Prince Charming.  We see Snow White look into herself through the magic mirror and learn how the lessons of her life made her the woman we never knew.

What fun!

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

★★★½

GENRE: mystery
SUBJECT: gypsies, prejudice, class structure
Setting:
CHARACTERS:
DATE READ: May 24 - June 4
NO. OF PAGES: 383
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: MCL  audio stockpile

PLOT:....................................................................4.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.00
STYLE:..................................................................4.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................4.00
Average..............................................................................................3.50

Maisie's former sponsor, Lady Compton, has her son ask Maisie to investigate the village of Heronsdene to verify that the Brick works that he wants to buy will not continue to be plagued by fires and mysterious crimes.  The area is the same as where Maisie's assistant, Billy Beale, and his family are earning a few extra dollars during hops picking season.

The fires seem to happen at the same time each year, but the villagers decline to report the vandalism to the authories. Maisie's investigation delves into the history of the town, the hops picking and the repeated workers including the gypsies.  Maisie's investigative abilities are amazing.

During the investigation, Maisie also has to deal with some personal issues.  The way that her personal life and the story are woven together, expands the characters allowing the secrets to be revealed in great way.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

 ★★½

GENRE: memoir
SUBJECT: self-discovery, meditation, spirituality
Setting: Italy, India, Indonesia, NY
CHARACTERS: Elizabeth, David, Ketut Liyer, Wayan, Felipe, Richard, Giovanni
DATE READ: May 23 - June 2
NO. OF PAGES: 352
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , GEOCAT
SOURCE: MCL

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................2.00
STYLE:..................................................................2.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................2.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................2.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................2.00
Threshold Quality.................................................2.50
Average..............................................................................................2.50

I thought this book would transport me to various places that I would want to travel, but it fell  short of the exotic descriptions that I was waiting for.  Instead, I read of a woman who was so self-centered she couldn't write of anything but herself complaining because her life wasn't what she wanted, and yet she had enough money and friends to just quit, give up everything and travel.

I should be so lucky…wait, I am - have a life that I appreciate, apparently she didn't.