Apple’s Comments (group member since Aug 28, 2021)

Apple’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Went to the library to return a book and sitting on the free books table was Horse. Winning!

10.1 Rewind to Winter

Passage of Arms by Eric Ambler

+10 task
+10 combo (20.7 - the story takes place on a cruise, with the main part being in Singapore and Malayasia; 20.9 - the whole story is a conspiracy re gun smuggling, of which the main characters are unwitting participants in)

Post Total = 20
Season Total = 1310

10.1 (x2); 10.2; 10.3 (x2); 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x3); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); 20.4; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x3)
30.1 (x2)

20.10 World of Crime (Rosemary's task)

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

+20 task
+10 LIT
+5 jumbo (519pgs)
+5 combo (20.7 - to resolve the story all the main characters must make a trip to Germany )

Post Total = 40
Season Total = 1290

10.1; 10.2; 10.3 (x2); 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x3); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); 20.4; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x3)
30.1 (x2)

10.3 St. Patrick's Day

Salvador by Joan Didion

+10 task

Post Total = 10
Season Total = 1250

10.1; 10.2; 10.3 (x2); 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x3); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); 20.4; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

15.7 HDYGG?

In My Past Life I Was Cleopatra: A sceptical believer's journey through the New Age by Amal Awad

Herbs
296 pages
6, CHIVES

IN My past life i was CLEOpatra a sceptical Believer's joUrney through the new age COLUMBINE+
in my Past life i was cleoPatra a scePtical believer's jOurneY through the new age POPPY

Plants used this post =3
Total plants used = 35

+15 points
+5 flower bonus

Post Total = 20
Season Total = 1240

10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x3); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6; 15.7;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); 20.4; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

20.4 The Fighting Temeraire

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
#6 on list

+20 task
+5 combo (10.3)
+50 halfway bonus

Post Total = 75
Season Total = 1220

10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x3); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); 20.4; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

Not that we necessarily enjoyed it, but my husband and I read Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder many years ago for his uni literature course.Can't build muscle without lifting weights!

I am going to suggest looking at John Irving here. Definitely The Imaginary Girlfriend: A Memoir and The World According to Garp, apparently The 158-Pound Marriage, and I cannot remember if it features in others, but as a former wrestler and assistant coach, he is definitely passionate about it and it does feature in his work.

10.6 Modernism

The Trial by Franz Kafka

+10 task
+10 LIT
+10 1001
+10 combo (10.2; 10.99 - 255 pages)

Post Total = 40
Season Total = 1140

10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x3); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

20.6 Fruit Dish, Bottle and Violin

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Chapters from the viewpoint of Aleisha, Mukesh, Izzy and Indira - possibly one each to Aiden and Chris also, and one to Naina

+20 task

Post Total = 20
Season Total = 1100

10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x2); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x3); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

10.2 The Dispossessed

The Cabin by Jørn Lier Horst

+10 task
+10 LIT
+10 combo (10.9 - 400 pages; 20.10 - Norway)

Post Total = 30
Season Total = 1080

10.1; 10.2; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x2); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

20.10 World of Crime (Rosemary's task)

The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg

Set in Sweden

+20 task
+10 LIT
+ 5 combo (10.3 - published 2003)

Post Total = 35
Season Total = 1050

10.1; ...; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x2); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10 (x2)
30.1 (x2)

10.6 Modernism

Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
Published 1930

+10 task
+5 combo (10.9 - 240 pages)

Post Total = 15
Season Total = 1015

10.1; ...; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6 (x2); ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)

10.1 Rewind to Winter

The Light of Day by Eric Ambler
I read two Eric Ambler books for Ticket to Ride last season

+10 task
+15 combo (20.7 - Arthur lives in Greece but travels to Turkey with the criminals for a week; 20.9 - Arthur Simpson is trying to infiltrate a criminal conspiracy - is it weapons or is it drugs? ; 20.10 - Turkey, and partially Greece)

Post Total = 25
Season Total = 1000

10.1; ...; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6; ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)

10.5 Golden Broadway Shows

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Brief LIVES

+10 task
+10 comb (10.3 - Published 2023; 10.9 - 432 pages

Post Total = 20
Season Total = 975

...; ...; 10.3; 10.4; 10.5; 10.6; ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)

Will this work backwards ? In Lost in a Good Book the washerwoman and judge from the first part of Kafka’s The Trial appear. I have read Lost in a Good Book, and am now reading The Trial.

(Apologies, on phone at work, so can’t do links)

20.3 The Madonna of the Cat

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
Lillian talks about the cat she first buys, Tallulah, and the book finishes after she has fed her current cat, Phoebe

I wasn't sure, but very quickly remembered that I had in fact listened to this. In fact, I remembered very well the story, up until the last 45 minutes.

To me Lillian Boxfish, advertising woman extraordinaire, is Lauren Bacall, she is Katherine Hepburn, she is smart, sassy and handsome. She doesn't need a man, but she enjoys them.

A retrospective piece, and I have realised a narration I often enjoy, where the story is told in a short time period, this over less than 12 hours on New Years Eve in New York, 1984, and into 1985, as she walks across the city, but covers the lifespan of the narrator, who has already done all their living, would not shy away from the end, and has a couple of things to get off their chest.

Xe Sands narration is so perfect with this, so if you wanted to enjoy this text at some point, I really do recommend the audio.

+20 task
+10 review
+5 combo (20.7 - Lillian details her honeymoon in Italy, specifically their time in Milan)

Post Total = 35
Season Total = 960

...; ...; 10.3; 10.4; ...; 10.6; ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x4); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)

10.8 Elemental (Tien's task)

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

+10 task

Post Total = 10
Season Total = 925

...; ...; 10.3; 10.4; ...; 10.6; ...; 10.8; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x3); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)

10.9 Anniversaries (Apple's task)

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum
352 pages

+10 task
+5 combo (10.3)

Post Total = 15
Season Total = 915

...; ...; 10.3; 10.4; ...; 10.6; ...; ...; 10.9 (x3); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x3); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)

15.6 HDYGG?

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

Herbs
310 pages
HORSERADISH

Flowers
jULIe and julia: 365 days, 524 reciPes, 1 Tiny apartment kitchen TULIP
julie and jULia: 365 dayS, 524 Recipes, 1 tiny aPARtment Kitchen LARKSPUR+
julie And julia: 365 days, 524 reCIpes, 1 tiny aparTMeNT kitchen  CATMINT

Plants used this post =4
Total plants used = 32

+15 points
+5 flower bonus

Post Total = 20
Season Total = 900

...; ...; 10.3; 10.4; ...; 10.6; ...; ...; 10.9 (x2); 10.10 (x2)
15.1; 15,2; 15.3; 15.4; 15.5; 15.6;
20.1; 20.2; 20.3 (x3); ...; 20.5 (x3); 20.6 (x2); 20.7; 20.8; 20.9; 20.10
30.1 (x2)