Denise’s Comments (group member since Dec 26, 2011)

Denise’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

20.1 Happy Birthday Elizabeth

The Lenient Beast by Fredric Brown

+20 task (3.88, 139 ratings)
+5 combo (10.9-"Loaf of rye bread. I think that's— wait, no. He bought some cheese. Quarter pound of jack cheese." - Specific type of cheese mentioned)

Task total=25
Season total=720

20.4 Uncommon Letter (Fall 2017)!

Fox by Joyce Carol Oates

+20 task
+10 female
+ 5 jumbo (672 pgs)

Task total=35
Season total=695

Jack Reacher's Rules by Lee Child

Adventure near the bottom

Is it okay to start locking in genres that look like they could drop off?

Liberation Day by George Saunders

Fantasy is second from the bottom

Agreed, Valerie! I often have trouble understanding the subchallenges, but this one really blew my brain up. It wasn’t until I read Joanna’s plan that I began to understand. Well, I think I do….
I see others are able to match all four criteria, and I wonder why it seems impossible to me.

Gemini
(M, most recently published, 2025)
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

Taurus
(Standalone, Mystery MPG, 2024)
Lazarus Man by Richard Price

Aquarius
(M, standalone, Book Club MPG)
Citizen Vince by Jess Walter

Pisces
(Most recently published, Fantasy MPG, 2022)
Liberation Day by George Saunders

Leo
(M, middle of series, Adventure MPG, Jul/Aug)
Jack Reacher's Rules by Lee Child

20.1 Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Knock Three-One-Two by Fredric Brown

+20 task (3.84, 160 ratings)

Task total=20
Season total=660

The Lenient Beast by Fredric Brown

3.88, 139 ratings

Knock Three-One-Two by Fredric Brown

3.83, 159 ratings

20.1 Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

His Name Was Death by Fredric Brown

+20 task (3.79, 226 ratings)

Task total=20
Season total=640

His Name Was Death by Fredric Brown

3.79, 226 ratings

10.6 Ninetieth (Rosemary's task)

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

+10 task (2019)

Task total=10
Season total=620

20.1 Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Hard City by Clark Howard

+20 task (4.3, 71 ratings)
+10 combo (10.6-1990, 10.9-“a large wooden bowl of fresh carrots, cucumber, garbanzo beans, lettuce, and tomatoes, all mixed with slices of Genoa hard salami and shredded mozzarella cheese”-specific cheese is named)
+5 jumbo

Task total=35
Season total=610

10.4 Fall Birthdays

The Removers: A Memoir by Andrew Meredith

+10 task

Task total=10
Season total=575

10.9 Cheese! (Marie's task)

The Wine of Youth: Selected Stories by John Fante

+10 task (A specific cheese is named—“He sold fancy things in his store, like Parmesan cheese, salami, and a special kind of fancy garlic.” at 65%)

Task total=10
Season total=565

10.5 Leo Tolstoy

Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man by Mark Kurlansky

+10 task (MPG Food)
+10 combo (10.7, 10.9- "In 1928, Kraft put Velveeta cheese on the market." p.164 - a specific cheese is named, approved in task thread)

Task total=20
Season total=540 555
(Edited to correct for addition error on post 438)

Okay, thank you, Marie! I will use the Velveeta quote.

Would either "processed cheese" or "Velveeta cheese" count as a specific type of cheese?

15.9 Sweet Sixteen Bingo

Square B1-equal # letters in first and last names

Prison Noir by Joyce Carol Oates

+15 task

Post total=15
Season total=520

20.1 Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Here Comes a Candle by Fredric Brown

+20 task (3.75, 170 ratings)
+5 combo (10.6-1950)

Task total=25
Season total=505