Connie ’s Comments (group member since Nov 11, 2013)

Connie ’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Barb Johnson, author of More of This World or Maybe Another, teaches fiction writing in the MFA program at the University of New Orleans.

https://barb-johnson.com/bio/

15.5 Scrabble

The Excellent Lombards by Jane Hamilton

Tile Letter: X1 - Title word begins with "ex"
Tile Points: 8

Task total: 15
Season total: 210

10.2 Gothic

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart (# 80 on list)

For 10.6 - gold - page 28 "A small reflecting world of misty green and gold. . . "

+10 task
+ 5 combo 10.5 Lucky Sevens - 7 letters in Stewart
+ 5 combo 10.6 Elementary My Dear Reader - gold
+ 5 combo 20.1 Back to School - author was a teacher per Wiki
+ 5 combo 20.5 Speech and Debate - witches, magic potions, crystal ball, supernatural

Task total: 30
Season total: 195

20.4 Home Economics

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard

For 10.6, gold on pg 397: "A swath of sheer gold fabric covered the center of the table, scattered with small votive candles."

+20 task
+ 5 combo 10.5 Lucky Sevens - recipes has 7 letters
+ 5 combo 10.6 Elementary My Dear Reader - gold
+ 5 combo Helicopter Season - the word recipes is in hElICoPtERS
+ 5 combo Chemistry Li, Be, Th, Ba in eLIzaBETH BArd

Task total: 40
Season total: 165

20.1 Back to School

War Trash by Ha Jin

Per Goodreads bio, author is a Professor at Boston University.

Page 268, Iron (Fe): ". . . the bows were mostly thin iron rods bent on both ends."

+20 task
+ 5 combo 10.6 Elementary My Dear Reader

Task total: 25
Season total: 125

15.4 Scrabble

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

Tile: C2 - MPG Classics
Tile Letter Points: 3

Task total: 15
Season total: 100

10.1 Exception to the Rule

Felicity by Mary Oliver (81 pages)

Task total: 10
Season total: 85

10.3 Thankful for Family

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (mentioned 53X on list)

+10 task
+ 5 combo 10.6 Elementary My Dear Reader pg 225 "He had become oxygen that she needed to breathe."
+ 5 combo 20.1 Back to School - Taught fiction writing per Wiki
+ 5 combo 20.3 Chemistry aNn NAPOLItano N=Nitrogen, Na=Sodium, Po=Polonium, Li=Lithium
+ 5 combo 20.8 Fall authors - born 1971

Task total: 30
Season total: 75

15.3 Scrabble

Mr. Nightingale's Diary: A Farce In One Act by Charles Dickens (104 pages)

Tile: O1 - Page Count 100-199 pages
Tile Count: 1 point

Task total: 15
Season total: 45

From Wikipedia for Mary Stewart:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_St...

"Stewart held a variety of posts during World War II, including primary school teaching, teaching at secondary level at a girls' boarding school, and working part-time at the sixth form of Durham School.[4] Between 1941 and 1956, she was an assistant lecturer (1941–5) and part-time lecturer (1948–56) in English literature, mostly Anglo-Saxon, at Durham University."

from Wikipedia for Ann Napolitano:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Nap...

"She taught fiction writing at Brooklyn College, New York University, and Gotham Writers Workshop."

I'm enjoying all the tasks, but my favorite is the Scrabble sub-challenge. I'm wishing I had four months to read all the books I want to slot into the main challenge!

15.2 Scrabble

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn

Tile: F2 Ph in title
Letter points: 4

Task total: 15
Season total: 30

Thank you, Apple, for helping out as a moderator!

Here are a few more words: tops, list, this, those, score, there, clip, ship, rips, hits, chop, hilt, close, sleep, core, pole, hole, sole, rich, reel, role, horse. Many can be made plural with the "s".

I love the fall tasks. The mods and task creators did a great job!

15.1 Scrabble

Take It Back by Kia Abdullah

Tile: K1 - Title word ending in K
Letter Points: 5

+15 task

Post total: 15
Season total: 15

The book I just read for Scrabble has mentions of gold and silver. It's a legal thriller where a white girl accuses Muslim boys of rape.
Take It Back by Kia Abdullah

Our family experienced the death of a close family member this year. Would a death be allowable?

Thanks for the helpful databases, Elizabeth.