Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Weekly Geeks #12

I've missed out on the Weekly Geeks assignment the past few weeks, but this is a good one to jump back in with! This week Dewey has suggested the following:


1. In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you finish this week.
2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.
3. Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. I’ll probably turn mine into a sort of interview-review. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).
4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions!

This is rather timely for me, even if I only have a few outstanding reviews to work on. I've been trying to write up my scattered thoughts about the following books into some kind of review. So ask away about these books:


The Master and Margarita / Mikhail Bulgakov

The Church of the Dog / Kaya McLaren

The Laughter of Dead Kings / Elizabeth Peters

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney / Suzanne Harper (YA)

Garden Spells / Sarah Addison Allen

The Sister /Poppy Adams (nearly done)
Odd Hours / Dean Koontz (nearly done)

11 comments:

  1. I may be one of the last people on earth not familiar with Koont's work. Can you recommend it to me?

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  2. Did you like Garden Spells? What was your favorite part and/or character?

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  3. Did you like The Master and Margarita? What was your favourite thing about it?

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  4. Of these books, which would you save from a fire, assuming you could save only one? Why this one? (And I'm already knocking on wood that this never happens, don't worry!) If you had to sacrifice one to save the rest, which would you toss? Why?

    (Not trying to be morbid, by the way, just trying to come up with some different questions for Geeks!)

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  5. Were you totally enchanted by Garden Spells? I was, but have since read a few reviews from people who thought it was so-so. If you loved it, are you planning to read her new book, The Sugar Queen?

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  6. I've heard so much on a general level about The Master and Margarita, and yet I couldn't tell you what the plot is about. Can you fill me in a little bit (just briefly)?

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  7. I'm interested in the technique and art of storytelling itself so anything along that line would interest me. My questions are for any or all of the fiction titles in your list:

    How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering?

    How was language used to set tone and mood?

    Was the prose dense or spare? Were sentences generally simple or complex?

    How was metaphor used? Were associations fresh or did they tend toward cliche? Did they add to your understanding of the theme?

    What was the central or organizing theme?

    How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting?
    >>>>
    BTW I'm hosting a book giveaway this week. Four copies of Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Four chances to enter until Saturday 3PM PST.

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  8. Which of those books was your favorite and why?

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  9. I keep hearing about The Master and Margarita--did you like it? How does it compare to other Russian novels you've read?

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  10. 'The Church of the Dog'?!

    I've never heard of it, and I just have to know, what is it about, and what does the title refer to??

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  11. Did you laugh more at The Master and Margarita, or cry? I couldn't decide, myself.

    Oh, and Dorothy -- I don't think that plot is easily put in a nutshell. I tried hard on my blog, and it's both complex and odd. Simpler -- and more fun -- just to read it! :)

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Thanks for stopping by ~ I always enjoy hearing your comments so please feel free to leave some!