TIOLI November - Read a Book in Alphabetical Order

I doubt if many of you have much to discuss about alphabetical order. However, I thought this might be fun place to discuss shared reads within this challenge. Feel free to use this thread however you'd like, though. If you do want to talk about alphabetical order, feel free! :)

Question to ponder:
Did the way this challenge was set up have you reaching out to grab for books you never expected to read this month? Are you happy about that or not?

Here's the Alphabetical Challenge wiki.

Try for the Frog Contest!!!

How many back-to-back reads (i.e. in sequence without a break, Z comes after A) will there be at the end of November (12 midnight 11/30/10 - EST - my time!) in my Alphabetical Challenge?

One guess only - no later than 11/23/10 - EST - my time). (ETA: Now closed to new entries) You must have at least one book posted in the Alphabetical challenge to participate. The winner gets a frog! :)

Guesses:
10 - teelgee
11 - lindapanzo
13 - Chatterbox
14 - Deesirings
17 - Donna828
20 - bell7
26 - alcottacre

Yes, and yes! Love this challenge. Now the hard part is stopping myself.

I've added: The Robber Bride; Kindred; Under the Banner of Heaven; The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet; In Other Rooms, Other Wonders; Pilgrim at Tinker Creek; The Dud Avocado and Cry the Beloved Country. Eek. A couple were on lists to possibly read this year, but they were pretty spontaneous.

This is really a kind of a funny challenge. The temptation always remains at the very end for someone to add "just one more" book. Yikes!

Think you'll make it through all of your choices, Terri? I picked 7 books, but I doubt if I'll make it through all of them. I usually get through about 5 or 6 per month.

I doubt it -- I have 15 listed altogether, and the best I manage in a good month is 11 or 12. But I have some extended reading time coming up (4 days at the coast) at the end of the month, so who knows? I'll concentrate on the shared reads first, of course!

Did the way this challenge was set up have you reaching out to grab for books you never expected to read this month? Are you happy about that or not?

No and yes to the first question. I was planning to read I Hotel in November, so I inserted it when the opportunity arose. However, I wasn't planning to read Pereira Declares (which, BTW, is the same book as Pereira Maintains), so I'm happy about that, to answer your second question.

Gah! Pereira Maintains wasn't there when I checked earlier and now it is but I just read it today - should have kept it for November ;-) Ooo, but it is good and I can't wait for everyone to start that one so I can talk about it without spoiling it. It's a really easy and engaging read, stimulating too, but one that's quite easily polished off over a weekend if that helps in the decision to read it. I shan't say anymore though, wouldn't want to spoil the pleasure.

All of the books I've picked were purely because they were on the list so that worked really well for me. Plus, there's loads that I'm still considering. I think it's a great challenge Squeaky - the pure diversity of it works so well for me.

Teelgee, I'm going to join you on Cry the Beloved Country because that's one that I forgot I wanted to read but now you've reminded me.

I actually 'cheated' on this one and used it to list some ER and borrowed books that I really need to get round to... hoping that this will be the spur I need, but then again I am hugely over-committed, particularly with my part-time studies starting again this week ;-)

I think it was easier knowing which books I wanted to add and then hoping to check in at the right sort of time, than it would have been the other way round, ie seeing a letter and trying to find a book quickly that would fit it.

We're stopped on 'P' - will that be it?? Do I hear a Q?

:)

I actually have one I'd like to read! Shall I put it in or does someone else have an entry for "Q"?

Oh I have a couple I'd love to add, but I am WAAAAYYYY overcommitted already. Go for it!

Phew! Linda already posted a "Q" book. Now, for sure I won't be overcommitted. Right?

With elkiedee's "Z" entry, we're now 4 times through the entire alphabet!

And someone is chomping at the bit to add an A title, despite realizing she can't read all that she's already committed to.

Though there IS a four-day Thanksgiving weekend this month...

Finished my second book for this challenge - Brat Farrar which I've had on the shelves since June. I enjoyed the rather random way this challenge has pulled certain titles off my shelves: checking where we've got to in the alphabet, having a quick look at the TBR shelves to see what begins with the appropriate letter which I fancy reading this month, and rushing to slot it in before the letter is claimed.

We're up to "J". Do I hear an "K"?!

We're up to "J". Do I hear an "K"?!

K

:)

Put your money, er book, where your mouth is! ;)

I'm thinking, I'm thinking. I don't have my Kindle with me today, which makes it hard.

(I brought a real book to work with me.)

A "real book". They're kind of rare, aren't they? :)

I thought of a K but you're on your own for an L.

Can't you use "Kindle?" It starts with 'K' ;o)

> 21

I think I'll pass on the "L" for now. Too many other books that I've got on the back burner brewing!

Challenge is on M now. Or needs an M book.

I think we should have unofficial bonus points for unbroken streaks in the alphabet at the end of the month, to incite us to complete as many of these as possible... In any case, I will be all the more impressed with the popularity of this challenge as more reads are completed. I wonder if we will get through an entire alphabet without any incomplete reads?

#25 I was wondering how long the longest alphabetical streak will be. I bet it won't be more than 7 or 8 straight letters.

We could do a pool - winner gets a frog.

We need an N book next!

To help this happen, I just ordered the book X by James Galvin.

#1 Madeline, the answer to your question is YES. I chose my alphabet read by choosing a book which someone had already listed (so, shared read) and which was in my TBR. I chose The Unbearable Lightness of Being and I am loving it.

I like Terri's idea!

CONTEST!

Here's the deal...

Beginning now through November 23rd, state how many books you think will be COMPLETED back to back (the longest unbroken sequence) in the Alphabetical Challenge by the end of November. Post the answer to this thread. The first person (you'll need to be willing to private message me your mailing address) who gets it right (or comes the closest) will win a frog. In all seriousness!

An FYI to get your guesses going: The longest unbroken sequence today stands at 4 (L-M-M-N). :)

Official Contest Thread

(Guesses will be reposted here as they come in. Once you have a guess posted, it may not be changed. You may delay your guess until November 23rd, but not beyond that date).

ETA: I'm moving the guesses up to message # 1 where they can more easily be seen.

Oooohhh, fun! Since a frog is at stake (i.e. potential for huge pay off), the gamble must be wisely considered: make a guess now in order to increase the odds of being the first to guess whatever number I guess OR hold off until later when more has been revealed and the odds are better for making a more accurate guess? So much to consider!

Point of clarification: must the streak be within the same alphabet of if the longest streak includes a Z from one alphabet and an A from the next alphabet, will that count?

The streak does not need to be within the same alphabet. The Z from one alphabet to the A in the next alphabet will count.

I'm guessing ten.

I will guess 11.

I posted your guesses above. Others can guess below, and I'll continue to report in message #1.

Terri...you're winning so far...but that can change...at any time! :D

MUST. HAVE. FROG.

btw, I plan to put a package in the mail to you this afternoon, if all goes well!

I need a frog of my very own for the cats to play with. I say 13.

All it takes is one overcommitted person (ahem) who can't get to all her ABC books and the thread/streak is snapped.

Linda, you wouldn't deliberately sabotage this, would you?? *recoils in horror*

LOL!

#43 No, but I know exactly which books I most likely will get to.

In a typical challenge, I would've quietly removed them by now.

Linda, ditto!!

I can see from the wiki that I really need to read one of my books as it sits to one side of a 'run' of completed tags. The pressure!

LOL!!

No pressure. Let the pressure be on the *other* side of the run. Ha!

Aha, but you *can't* remove any books from the Alphabet challenge. Or Squeaky will send out the flying monkeys frogs!

Madeline, re message 40, all went well. I was going to send Media Mail but it isn't one of the options at the DIY machine, so you should have it early next week.

Thanks so much, Terri!

Maybe the alphabet will come 'round again so you can add it. 'o)

LOL!!

I'll guess 14. It's a lucky number for me.

I am going waaay out on a limb here with my guess of 17. That's how many people will be crowded around our Thanksgiving table(s) on Thursday. Get to reading, people! ;-)

Oh just for fun I'll guess...and probably be wrong 'cause I'm going out on a limb here: 20.

Yeah, I'm figuring that most of you will actually have extra time (like me!) over the holiday weekend to pull that off. ;)

I will say 26 since that covers all the letters :)

I hope I don't have to read my gap-filler Xerxes book so the streak doesn't get broken? I read the Kindle sample and it's quite terrible.

I'm certainly not planning on reading my gap-filler(s)....

I was planing on and started to read the CJ Box book Open Season, but I had to stop. It just wasn't working for me. Guy worried about his job and money isn't exactly something I can read right now.

So use that information as needed. The other two open ones for me look interesting and I might get to them. Skull one will probably be started after current Butcher book. Lightening one is more problematic.

I am aiming to finish my two remaining 1010 books. After that, start reading the ones I most want to read.

These may or may not be "gap filler books." :)

I'm working on X which I bought especially for this challenge. It's poetry so I should be able to get through it.

My 'z' book is low priority for me, I want to read it, but there are other November challenge books being neglected.

Guessing for the contest closes in less than two hours. Now it's 10:20pm *my time* so no more guesses after 12 midnight.

Contest is now closed! We'll wait to see who gets...a frog! :)

I know I am not going to be the winner, so I will offer early congratulations to that lucky person!