Take It or Leave It Challenge - January 2013 - Page 2

For those new to this challenge: More info and monthly index can be found in post #1 of this thread or this TIOLI FAQS wiki.

Simple directions for posting to the wiki can be found at the bottom of each month's wiki page.


...logo by cyderry

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I'm so excited that a new year is about to begin. I wish a lovely 2013 to everyone!

I'm opening up this new year with a tougher-than-usual challenge. It won't stop you though. I'm sure you'll quickly jump aboard with books of your choosing.

For January, 2013, I challenge you to read a book whose title has *no* duplicate letters. At first, this might seem a difficult task, but begin with books that have a title of only one or two words. Then, see if you can stretch this to books with titles of three or more words.

You have the option of using or omitting the subtitle.

Addendum: The words "the", "a", and "an" are part of the book title.

As always, you are encouraged to match reads.

List the number of letters contained in the title as follows:
Fight Club (9) – Chuck Palahniuk – melydia
Gilead (6) – Marilynne Robinson – cameling
I’m Gone (6) – Jean Echenoz – brenzi
Ishmael (7) – Daniel Quinn – kiwidoc
Jasmine (7) – Bharati Mukherjee – teelgee
Quicksand (9) – Junichiro Tanizaki - SqueakyChu
Wench (5) – Dolen Perkins-Valdez - mrstreme
Yalo (4) – Elias Khoury - PaulCranswick

Now…go find your own titles and have a terrific 2013!

-----------------------------------

Other Fun Stuff (not part of the TIOLI challenge):

1. The January 2013 TIOLI Meter - Optional page on which you may track your TIOLI reading. FYI: This is not meant to be competitive - only fun!
2. Morphidae's List of Previous TIOLI Challenges - You may use this reference (Do a control-F scan) to avoid repeating a previous challenge. If your idea is similar to a previous challenge, just make it unique by adding a new "twist" to it. (Updated 01/22/13)

Wiki Index

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book with no duplicate letters in its title - msg #1
2. Read a book by an author you hadn't heard of before you joined LibraryThing - msg #3
3. Read a book that was not published by one of the Big Six - msg #12
4. Read the debut work of an author born in January - msg #13
5. Read a work of genre fiction from outside Europe/North America - msg #15 - thread
6. Read a Book That Has Been Downloaded onto Your Electronic Reader at Least Six Months Ago - msg #16

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book with a B somewhere in the title or author's name - msg #18
8. Read a book that is part of a limited series, such as a trilogy - msg #21
9. Read a book that has exactly 13 letters in the title - msg #20
10. Read a book about Native Americans (or some other aboriginal group) and crime - msg #24
11. Read a book that's either the first or the last in a series, BUT it has to be the opposite of whatever book is listed before - msg #30
12. Read a book that has a wise man or a king as a character, or has the word 'wise' or 'king' in the title or author's name - msg #33

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book that has won or was nominated for the Giller Prize - msg #40
14. Read a book by an author who is commonly known by at least a three-part name - msg #69
15. Read a book you discovered through use of the LibraryThing "If You like..." feature - msg #72
16. Read a children/youth book written by a German speaking author - msg #99
17. Read a book that has has a prime number in the title - msg #104
18. Read a book with the word 'new' in the title - msg #143

Challenge #19-22
19. Read a book that was originally published the year you were born
20. Read a book by a new-to-you method, or read a book obtained from a new-to-you source - msg #46
21. Read a book that you meant to read in 2012 - msg #8
22. Read a book mostly filled with pictures - msg #30

No more challenges, please until the February wiki goes up. Thanks!

Re #20, yes, if humouress could come back and let us know if an unusual source for a book would work for this challenge, it would be helpful. I could add something that way. Pity, as there are still a few books I can't squeeze in, and I can see a couple of the challenges that are going to swallow up a big chunk of my January reading -- I'm feeling very thankful for the "B" challenge right now!

I added Team of Rivals to challenge # 14.

Team of Rivals is one of those books that have to be listed over a few months to get it all in. I'm currently reading The Oatman Massacre which is a little book, only 227 pages, but I've had to list it 3 times to get myself to read it. And I'm so glad I have. It's so intetesting to tead about what prompted so many Americans to join the westward migration and what they encountered along the way. It serms there's no way to discuss the subject without Mormons being a part, and this book has a concentration on the fractions within the Mormon community after the death of Joseph Smith.

Well, I was able to fit Dying on the Vine into the Series challenge, so I don't need to create a challenge for it. It was an ok book in the series, nothing special.

I finished another book by Johanna Spyri for challenge 16. The story is set in the Swiss alps, near the Furka Pass.

One more challenge before the midnight deadline. I'm sure other people besides me have candidates for this one:

************
Read a book that you meant to read in 2012, but for some reason didn't get around to.

Another challenge idea: the "I cheated--reading the book after seeing the movie" challenge.

>8 AnneDC: - Yay! Challenge # 21. A place to put my Anne McCaffrey - Get off the Unicorn

I first planned to read it back in October for challenge # 6 - Read a book with a title word that starts with "un".

> 9

Heidy,

If you want to post a challenge, post it on this page before midnight tonight. Directions for how to do this can be found here.

21: Thank you - I actually had The Secret Keeper listed in December, as it was for a rolling challenge (normally I read books and then put them on the TIOLI list), but my reading slows down over Christmas and when we go away - most people read more on holiday, I'm the opposite.

#6 I love that Gideon Oliver series but not as much lately. Maybe I'll join you in that one.

Anne, LOVE those catch-all categories...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, AnneDC! A challenge tailor-made for 75-bookers, and TIOLI fans especially!

Karen O.

Oh, Anne!

*groans*

(Just kidding!)

Thank you Anne, a home for the just completed Spies of Warsaw.

>8 AnneDC: Geez, I have so many of those books, I'm going to really have to figure out which one I might possibly get to this month!

There are way too many great challenges this month!!

I'm signed up for 20 TIOLI books. Maybe I'll have a stupendous reading month. With the cold weather and no baseball or hockey, I may as well read. Right?!?

Go, Linda! It will be interesting to see if you can do 20 in a month. I'm probably getting behind as I type. I've spent most of the afternoon working on genealogy instead of reading. I'm going to have supper and then remedy that -- just as soon as I get a few more threads here caught up. I'm so behind on threads. I haven't even found everyone's 2013 threads yet.

#20 Well, Lori, since I joined LT (my 4th Thingaversary is next weekend), the most I've ever read in a month is 18.

With no hockey on and cold/snowy weather, I might be able to do it.

Three books read this year, so far, and probably will finish another tonight. I'm not reading War and Peace or anything like that, obviously, but lots of (to me) comfort reads.

Just a heads-up: the books in Challenge #11 have somehow gotten completely out of order. I can go back in and fix them, unless Samantha or Madeline would prefer to?

#22 No, they're correct.

They're not to be put into alphabetical order but rather a last in the series book, followed by a first in the series book, alternating.

Also, if someone matched on a book, it might look out of order but that ought to be ok.

Oh, DUHHHHH!!!!!!!

Sorry! {*blushes*} I added a shared read so the conditions of the challenge didn't grab me. I'm glad I didn't "fix" them! :)

#24 No problem. I read a lot of mystery series and am constantly reading either the first in a new (to me) series or the most recent one in an ongoing (for me) series. I love this challenge.

Fortunately, it doesn't take as long to come around as it did when we were spelling out CHRISTMAS last month.

> 24

LOL at our lyzard!

{{{Hugs}}}

I'm having a bad morning - computer issues. I think it's fried my brain. :(

:(

13> I came into it through the award winning books in the series, instead of starting from the beginning. If I'd started from the beginning, this series isn't one I'd likely have continued. On the other hand, I agree that the most recent works in the series haven't been the best.

====Challenge #22: Read a book mostly filled with pictures (i.e., collected paintings, photographs, comic strip collections, graphic novels) - started by MikeBriggs====

A picture's worth a thousand words and all that. Read something dominated by pictures, and less so by text/the written word. Be sure to remember to include the name of the illustrator, painter, photographer, etc.

>6 MikeBriggs:, 13, 29

I've been a fan of the Gideon Oliver books for a long time, but Dying on the Vine was pretty bad. It's a very uneven series, but I remember the good ones fondly.

Madeline, I know how you hate catch-all challenges, but thank you, thank you, thank you, Anne. I was afraid my first two books of the year would be non TIOLI. How could I survive?

Fabulous challenge, Mike. I just got The Infinity of Lists by Umberto Eco for half-price at Strand and it's a gorgeous, lavishly illustrated book, where the text serves to highlight the images rather than vice versa. The only problem may be that there are so many images and artists, it will be hard to list 'em all!!

Oh man ... no pressure ... I just signed myself up for at least 4 books this month. I'm not sure why I'm panicky, that's a book a week which is a pace I'm used to. Maybe it's that I'm quantifying it. And of course if I want to make 75 in 2013, I need to read close to 1.5/week.

>34 AuntieClio:

Don't panic. Read at your leisure. If you make it, you make it. If not, just realize that you've had the pleasure of reading along with all of us - sometimes even the same book(s)!

#34, I always sign up for an absurd # of books, mostly to give myself a list to work from, and partly so that I can end up maximizing the # of shared reads. Often, I'll list something and discover others are interested in joining me in the read, so I'll try to prioritize that book. But I'm happy if I finish half to two-thirds of the books I list. As the mantra says, take it or leave it! :-) No stress, no pressure. And if those four books aren't the ones you end up reading, nobody is going to hunt you down...

I love challenge 22. Thanks, so I have got the chance to enter graphic novels as well.

#34 I very often do the same and then I see what I actually manage. Sometimes, I even change my mind during the month and just enter the books as I read them. The challenge is for fun as the others said as well. :)

Mike, thanks for challenge 22 - so I manage to fit in this: Das Schweizer Kreuz by Heinz Furer. A picture book about the white cross on red ground. It shows the cross on money, flags, air planes, but also on T-shirts, candles, chocolate, underwear, cut into grass, made from flowers ....

A couple of us have found a new to us method to read a book, so challenge #20 is up and away at last.

And yay! I can add a book to challenge 22. Snapshot Poetics. Not feeling quite so panicky today. I have no idea what was going on last night. This is so much fun!

Assembling a book from a box sounds like an intriguing method of reading!

I just snagged a couple of books from member giveaway's for the first time. Can I class that as a new to me method?

#42, I think that is part of the confusion that some of us are hoping can be addressed -- whether getting a book from a new to us source qualifies in the same way that a new to us method (electronic, audio, borrowed audio, etc.) would. I've won a book on Twitter, for instance, and received one via a book swap, but the "method" of reading it, vs obtaining it, would be standard...

#42/43: I would go ahead and list it in the challenge while waiting for humouress to come back and clarify. I haven't seen her posting at all for a few days.
She said: "I am going to try to borrow an e-book from my library, which is an intriguing concept to me."

Oh, dear. I've been busy / away for the holiday period, and managed to get my challenge onto the list in time. I'm sorry, I didn't realise it would cause so much confusion and tribulation, and I've not been checking LT.

I like to make my challenges as open as possible, so I'm fairly easy-going with the conditions.

>3 Chatterbox: : Unusual source should be fine.

Oh, dear. I've been busy / away for the holiday period, and managed to post to get my challenge onto the list in time. I'm sorry, I didn't realise it would cause so much confusion and tribulation, and I've not been checking LT.

I like to make my challenges as open as possible, so I'm fairly easy-going with the conditions (but don't let Madeline know).

>3 Chatterbox: : Unusual source should be fine.
>39 avatiakh:: Thanks for getting my challenge off the ground! Assembling a book from a box, I've not heard of before.
>42 fairywings:, 43: Yes, new source is fine, too. Go ahead.

Maybe I should amend the challenge to:

**************************************************************************************************************************************
Challenge #20: Ring in the new: read a book by a new-to-you method, or read a book obtained from a new-to-you source
**************************************************************************************************************************************

Thanks, everyone, for making sure that it didn't go unchallenged. Speaking of which, I'd better hie me to the library website and borrow that e-book, pronto!

ETA: I've changed it in the wiki. Madeline, could you please change the title at the top, if that's OK?

I'm planning on borrowing an e-book from the library for the first time, and I've not tried audio books (I lead a sheltered life). I've read books on my phone, and iPad, but I don't have a Kindle.
Someone on thread 1 mentioned reading in the streets while walking (which I haven't done for a long, long time).
Reading in the bath (which I wouldn't dare, for fear of spoiling my book)? Underwater while scuba diving, then?
While hanging upside down from the rafters?

E again TA : Thanks, Madeline.

There's a group read of The Last Unicorn over in the Green Dragon; have you read any graphic novelisations of a novel?

I just finished Playmates by Robert B. Parker for challenge #7. Read a book with a B somewhere in the title or author's name.

I enjoyed it but it certainly is not my favourite of the Spenser books.

Review is here:http://www.librarything.com/work/74072/reviews

(3.5 stars)

Just posting to find my way back. :)

I'm joining Chatterbox on her read of The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal. I wanted to participate in challenge 5 (genre fiction by an author not from the West), and this book was listed as being a mystery and set in Egypt, two of my favorite things. And my library had a copy! So now challenge 5 has one point.

When I first saw the thread for the challenge, I thought it was for non-Westerns, as in the genre "Westerns," i.e., cowboys and cattle and shoot-em-ups. I had a giggle when I realized what it really was about.

Karen O.

Later today I finished listening to The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje on my MP3 for challenge #13 - Read a book that has won or was nominated for the Giller Prize (nominated 2011) Boy I love that MP3!!

And I loved this book! Ondaatje skipped around the topics much like I expect an 11 year old boy on his own, on a sea voyage, would have skipped around the ship. Real characters with real lives peopled the pages and the book was by times outrageously funny and outrageously sad. Beautifully written. A mystery of sorts. Well done. I would like to read more of his work.

(4.5 stars)

I've added Life by Keith Richards to Challenge #1 Read a book with no duplicate letters in its title.

Just completed #22. Read a book mostly filled with pictures. Snapshot Poetics by Allen Ginsberg

I've just finished the audio version of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and added it to challenge #7. Read a book with a B. My son came in and listened to a portion near the end and before the book ended we settled down and watched the movie. We have both seen it before but not for many years. I really enjoyed both book and film.

Just finished my first TIOLI ever! Challenge 7. Read a book with a B in the title. Mine was Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore that I found on Joe's Book Cafe! A great way to start the new year.

> 53

I'm glad you liked A Clockwork Orange. I'd recently read it myself and surprised myself by liking it!

> 54

Congrats, Liz, on your first TIOLI finish!

>54 lalbro:. Congratulations on your first TIOLI challenge, lalbro! Although it was completely out of my normal reading groove, I loved Mr. Penumbra!

I vaguely remember that when I originally came up with challenge 20 last year some time (such a long time ago), I was also going to include 'new-to-you genre' or 'author' or some such; but never mind. We'll go with what we've got now.

I came by to enter my first read of 2013 - which I was actually hoping to get into my own 'Ring out the old' challenge in December, but I finished it late on the 1st of January :

for Challenge 7 (B) : Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart

unless anyone else has put it under a different challenge.

ETA : had a quick check, since (unlike a lot of my choices) it's proved popular lately, but I didn't spot it anywhere else.

I have a special thread setup because I could use some help from my friends here at LT. There's a full explanation on the thread, so if you could take a few minutes, I'd really appreciate it!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/147907#

>54 lalbro: May I add my congratulations on your first TIOLI, Liz?

Is there anyone out there who was born in 1984 who has a burning desire to read Rumer Godden's Thursday's Children? I think Challenge #21 is the only way I'm going to fit it in a TIOLI this month and I've already read it!

Thanks!

Hmmm, I'd do Thursday's Children as a matched read, too; I was born a few decades too early, though! So I suppose it depends whether there's a 29 year old out there eager to help (and on whether I can find the damn book...)

Well, I'm only 28 yrs old, mind you! Now the pressure is on I guess... I'll check if I find the book interesting enough and if I can find a copy somewhere. Unless there are other people born in 1984?

Btw, I keep thinking I should read Orwell's 1984 for that challenge, but of course it doesn't fit; it's just that it's so 1984-ish :P

#55 - Madeline - I think it was you that recommended listening to the audio of either Clockwork Orange or Trainspotting. I've moved on to Trainspotting and really liking this on audio as well.

>61 Britt84: Britt - I'd offer a trade of you adding Thursday's Children for me adding 1984, but I can't help with 1949....

>63 Dejah_Thoris: haha, no thanks, I have no ambition to reread 1984 at this time :) It's just that I can't help thinking of that book when thinking about my year of birth...

I am willing to read Thursday's Children though, it sounds really nice (I used to do ballet when I was younger), but I'll have to see if I can find it anywhere...

Thanks to all for the congrats on my first TIOLI :)!

Thursday's Children is one of my fave Godden books. One of her other, later books set in the ballet world is Pippa Passes, but it's sadly not as good.

Thanks to those that have taken my little survey so far, and I could still use a few more answers.

There's a full explanation on the thread, so if you could take a few minutes, I'd really appreciate it!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/147907#

Ok, I'll add Thursday's Children to the wiki; I still had some christmas money left, so I added a cheap copy to my amazon order; just hope it'll be here soon enough :P

So, now you can all read it!

I'm amazed to find out how many Giller prize shortlisted books I actually have, and have still to read, some have even been round long enough to have been shelved properly and in alphabetical order. Maybe I can get round to reading one of them, though I don't seem to own most of the ones that other people are reading for the challenge (or I don't know where they are!)

>68 Britt84: Britt, you are a kind and wonderful person! I just hope that having gone to all this trouble that you enjoy Thursday's Children when it arrives!

*dashing off to add it to the wiki*

'Read' two Street Art books: Urban knits by Simone Werle and Street art New York by Jaime Rojo, I added them to the picture challenge no 22

Linda, regarding challenge #9, can I enter A Train in Winter as Train in Winter in order to have 13 letters, or do I need to include the A? I assume leaving the subtitle off is okay?

>70 Dejah_Thoris: *blushes* aw, thanks, it's nothing, really! I just like using the TIOLI challenges to get to know new authors, so I really don't mind getting into something new to make a shared read :)

I've added Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, to challenge 1 (not using the very funny subtitle for purposes of the challenge).

I'd come across the recommendation for the book on a thread (unfortunately that person who is reading the book now is not on TIOLI--wah!).

Karen O.

Finished Anana a tale about an Inuit girl in Alaska.

Finished and reviewed Anna Karenina for the Not a Big Six publisher .

Now I'm reading The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout, an ER book, for the B in the Title/Author Challenge.

I meant to read Prince of Ravenscar for the Regency challenge last year, so in it goes for challenge #21.

And wouldn't you know, the e-book I wanted for my challenge is out of the library.

I added two books to challenge #2. I added Black Diamond Death by Cheryl Bradshaw and The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. Enjoyed both books. This is the most books I think I have ever done in a month for TIOLI!!

Finished another children's book by a German author: Kommt ein Löwe geflogen

Added:

Challenge #2 (new author before LT)
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

Challenge #3 (not by Big 6)
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

Challenge #7 (Letter B)
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Challenge #8 (limited series)
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Challenge #11 (first/last in series)
The Mage by Jean Johnson

Cold Days by Jim Butcher *will add when "last" spot opens

Challenge #21 (meant to read in 2012)
The Gallery of Regrettable Food by James Lileks

Read Inside the Presidential Debates by Newton N. Minow. Counts as # 20. Read a book by a new-to-you method, or read a book obtained from a new-to-you source.
(Adobe Digital Editions)

5 down, 71 to go :-)

Yippee! I finished all four of my TIOLI challenges.

YAY!

I finally got around to adding the five books I've read so far for this month's TIOLI Challenges:

Ch. 6 (Not published by Big Six): Sorry by Gail Jones

Ch. 7 ("B" in title or author's name):
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner
The Merry Heart by Robertson Davies

Ch. 8 (Part of a limited series): The Manticore by Robertson Davies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am currently reading these books and posted them:

Ch. 6 (Dowloaded to e-reader 6+ months ago): We Die Alone by David Howarth

Ch. 8: World of Wonders by Robertson Davies
A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell.

This is yet another great month for TIOLI. Thanks to all who posted such varied and interesting challenges!

I finished another B-book: Der lange Weg nach Kaltbach by Markus Bühler. It shows the way of the milk from cow, to the cheese maker and then into the Kaltbach cave where it's left for 8 months in order to ripen to good Emmentaler and Gruyères.

Protocol question. I just finished The Prisoner Of Heaven which meets the TIOLI "part of a limited series". But I didn't include it on my list before I read it. Can I count it or not?!

Absolutely, Liz! I never make a list in advance, just read what I feel like and then see if it fits in any of the challenges.

#86, certainly! People add or remove books from the lists constantly throughout the month, as books prove unreadably dull, as their interests shift, when they can't find the book they intended to read, or find they simply can't read as much as they had planned.

> 86

Yes. You can add any book that you finish during the month. You can also move it to any other challenge at any time, if you so choose. People usually do this to create a "match" for TIOLI points.

Thanks everyone! I will add it to my list :)

I finished and REVIEWED Elizabeth Strout's new novel The Burgess Boys for the Challenge to read a book with a B in the title.

Now I'm reading A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell for the challenge to read a book that is part of a series.

Earlier today I finished listening to The Help by Kathryn Stockett on my MP3. Loved it! This was for challenge # 6 - to read a book that tas been downloaded onto your electronic reader at least six months ago.

Full review is here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/8019757/reviews

I'm entering The Fairytale Detectives : the Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley for Challenge #2 - Read a book by an author you hadn't heard of before you joined LibraryThing.

I mainly read fantasy, and started moving back to children's fiction, but this is children's fantasy; so not a huge departure for me, but definitely opening up my reading ... slowly.

I think Bouvier Verlag Bonn does not belong to the big 6? So I can add Granatapfelblüte to this challenge.

I've added Howl: a graphic novel to challenge #22 Read a book that is mainly pictures. I've seen a few people mentioning it on the threads but not sure if they are TIOLIers.

>95 avatiakh: I think I put Howl under challenge #1, no repeating letters.

Thanks Tangle, I'll check that out and move it.

I have finished Oryx and Crake which goes under Challenge 13. This book was nominated for the Giller Prize in 2003.

TIOLI stats for December 2012

For December 2012, there were 19 challenges in which a total of 597 books were read. Of those, 104 (17%) were shared reads. That ties the lowest shared read percentage ever (...tied with July, 2012). We accumulated a total of 56 TIOLI points for December, but came out with an accumulated lower year end TIOLI points score (1,001) than last year (1,017).

For the entire year of 2012, we saw an increase in the number of books read but a decrease in the number of books shared.

The most popular book of the month was A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

The most popular challenge was DeltaQueen's challenge to read a book that starts with the next letter available in the word "Christmas". There were 87 books read for that challenge.

The highest number of TIOLI points for a challenge was my own (SqueakyChu's) challenge to read a book for a tag round robin. It accumulated 13 TIOLI points.

Stay tuned for the December 2012 awards...coming soon!

Shared reads are great as they encourage conversation between participants, but I think the decrease of shared reads says a lot about what an eclectic group we are.

For Challenge 11 (first / last in series, alternating), The Phoenix Guards by Stephen Brust.

I've thought of a challenge for next month...

#102, me too...

I've got one up my sleeve as well :0)

I am currently unable to think ahead further than 2 days, so I have nothing up my sleeve...

It would be interesting to see how many books are read by several people over a period of 3 months or 6 months or whatever - quite often I'd like to do a shared read one month but don't get to it, or someone lists a book and I think, ooh good idea, I'll read that, and I do and they don't make it, but then the person who didn't read it that time gets to it a month or two later. Also, books which get rated highly or which get a really thoughtful and positive review may get lots more reads in following months.

accidental duplicate post, sorry

I finished A Question of Upbringing for the challenge to read a book that is part of a limited series. Now I'm reading We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance for the challenge to read something that was downloaded onto your electronic reader at least six months ago.

(104) Carmenere wrote: I've got one up my sleeve as well :0)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kRW7pITY5Cg&feature=fvwrel

;)

I have a challenge ready for next month too :)

My sleeves are full!

fuzzi, I love Bullwinkle!

Karen O.

p.s. I'm waiting for this month's "Recommend a Short Read" day, and I'll suggest Game of Thrones (NOT). I'm about halfway through (400 out of 790 pages). It is truly involving and compelling, but I thank all the gods that ever were/are that I got a Nook for Christmas and I can read it on this little featherweight nothing.

Great stats Madeline! Just a question though - how do the challenges gain points?

Here's the explanation, Paul.

FYI: The link to the TIOLI FAQS page is always in message #1 of any thread.

Thanks for that Madeline - now it is clear - I have only being doing the challenge on and off for 16 months or so!

:)

Finally I finished When Christ and His Saints Slept My copy was 784 pages with small print. I read somewhere that someone else's copy was 928 pages - I believe it. I was definitely glad to finish it! Shared read too!

Cheli - I am on schedule to finish When Christ and His Saints Slept this week and my copy is in excess of 900 pages.

For challenge 8 (limited series), I've finished Karavans by Jennifer Roberson. This is the first in the Karavans series, of which there are currently 3 books, though I see from her website that she intends a fourth (and final) book, not yet written.

I believe it's "Recommend a Good, Short Read" Day, and as I just finished The Whale Rider, I'd like to suggest it for your reading enjoyment. It's a lovely little book, 150 pages long, and it reads very fast (except that the writing is so gemlike, I found myself rereading passages multiple times).

You may remember the movie version of this book, which won the Sundance Audience award in 2003. I adored the movie, and the book is even lovelier. It tells the story of eight-year-old Kahu, a little girl with a big heart and a huge destiny for her Maori people.

Thanks to Inge87 for putting the book into challenge 19; maybe you'll join us?

Karen O.

It is indeed Quick Reads day here on the January TIOLI challenges. Make your recommendations...

Quick Read Recommendation - All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville West in challenge 14.

#122 Seconded - All Passion Spent was very good.

two that are definitely not quick reads Anna Karenina and When Christ and His Saints Slept.

Completed TIOLI #12 - Read a book that has a wise man or a king as a character, or has the word 'wise' or 'king' in the title or author's name Dharma Lion by Michael Schumacher featuring Allen Ginsberg as wise man. What a life he led!

I finished and REVIEWED Olga Grushin's beautiful novel The Line. That was for the challenge to Read a book by an author you hadn't heard of before you joined LibraryThing.

By the way, re: #12, is anyone else finding that the kings in their books are anything but wise??

I had a couple of doozies...

Completed TIOLI #7 - Read a book with a B somewhere in the title or author's name: Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples

>120 klobrien2:, I definitely second The Whale Rider as a good, quick read.

Other "quick" standouts this month:

The Rescuers by Margery Sharp (Challenge 2)
A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley (Challenge 2)
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Challenge 9)
Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer (Challenge 11)

>127 lyzard:, One of my kings is a cat, so naturally he is both superior and wise.

#129 Carbonel is certainly very superior! And demanding - very cat like definitely, and being royal just makes him more so!

Ah, my next puzzle for where-to-put-it. Gotta get this right--I already got harrumphed on the first day of the New Year.

I joined in the group read of The Last Unicorn and it's a shared read in challenge 7. (BTW I see my fellow harrumphee has not listed the book there yet.... if Madeleine promises not to bite will you please come back and list it?) But I've also acquired the graphic novel edition from the library to compare the two. Cyderry, can I list it a second time in challenge 7 with the different format? Otherwise, I'll just list it in Challenge 22 all by its lonely self.

I don't mind but Madeline may have rules against it.

>>#129 & #130

Oh, I know Carbonel! - yes, obviously the exception to the rule. My kings were both inferior human specimens.

Finished A Game of Thrones for challenge 11, and I loved it. I've already got the second in the series (A Clash of Kings) ready to go (in paper, and on my Nook). I'm hopeful that I can fit it into a February challenge (hmm? anyone?)

Thanks to cyderry and Deern for joining in for the matching points!

Karen O.

> 131

The same book cannot be listed twice in different formats.

TIOLI - I'm not going to be able to finish Game of Thrones this month, DARN!

I've added King's Dragon by Kate Elliott to challenge 12 ('wise' / 'king' in title).

ETA: Challenge 12 isn't quite in alphabetical order; should it be re-organised?

Almost all reading this month fits into categories! That's the first time in a long, long time.

Well, part of that may have been caused by my taking a brief sojurn away from TIOLI because of those pesky but overwhelming RL issues. ;)

Welcome back, Gail!

Thank you, Madeline; it's really good to be back.

This month's books:
Challenge 2: The Stockholm Octavo
Challenge 3: Memoirs of a Midget
Challenge 7: A Fatal Advent, The Trail of the Serpent, Thou Shell of Death
Challenge 12: The Road to Camlann: The Death of King Arthur

Most are complete, only 2 to go. Whee!

I came across an interesting book on Book art - gives one some ideas what to do with books you have read... put it in challenge 22

I'm trying to like Agnes Grey, but she's not helping much...

>142 fuzzi:, Anne is my least favorite of the Bronte Sisters. Agnes Grey was okay, but I could not make myself finish The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I will say that Agnes does get a bit better farther into the book, but in terms of Bronte governess novels I much prefer Jane Eyre or even Villette with its stupid ending.

136> cyderry, not to worry! Remember, TIOLI means never having to feel guilty about not finishing something. I do hope you keep reading Game of Thrones, though--but only if you're enjoying it.

Karen O.

I didn't like Agnes Grey much but think The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is brilliant.

I'm reading a novel about Charlotte and the Bronte family at the moment, Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler.

I feel better about ditching Agnes...

Question: is Scholastic part of a big house? I didn't see it listed with the Big Six.

I finished a book ab out the Inuk of Greenland: Anatomie einer Nacht - 11 suicides within 5 hours

>148 paulstalder:: I think I might give that one a miss!

Adding (finally) to Challenge 20 - new to you method Heat Wave, the first of the books purportedly by Richard Castle. It's the first time I've borrowed an e-book from the library (for which I had to download their reader), and the first time (I'm sure) I've read a book written by a fictional TV character.

But if anyone is still looking for a quick read, I can recommend it; especially for fans of Castle, the TV series.

Completed Shopgirl by Steve Martin published by Hyperion.

May I have a ruling as to whether this qualifies as 3. Read a book that was not published by one of the Big Six?

This is an unofficial opinion, but I think Hyperion probably qualifies. If not, Shopgirl fits in TIOLI #1.

#151, thanks. I already have a TIOLI #1 (Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman).

> 152

Sorry! Fragile Things will not qualify for Challenge #1 as it contains the letter "i" and the letter "g" twice.

>153 SqueakyChu: yeah, I mean Two Graves. Fragile Things has 13 letters in it. Be that as it may, I still want to know if Shopgirl counts as not being published by one of the big 6.

>147 fuzzi:, No, Scholastic is not one of the Big 6. It is however, the largest publisher of children's books in the world (according to its website).

Hyperion is not one of the Big 6.

It's pathetic, I know, but I have my Challenge for February all ready to go - I'm getting antsy....

#156, thank you Morphidae.

Finished Marked for Vengeance by SJ Pierce. Counts as TIOLI 8. Read a book that is part of a limited series, such as a trilogy

My friends probably won't be surprised but I sort of am, that's 9 books for the month and all of them TIOLI.

Can anyone think of where I can fit in Winter in Madrid by C J Sansom? Although I've had the book since April 2012, I can't honestly say I planned to read it in 2012, at least I never listed it for any previous TIOLI challenge or had it lined up as a possible read before now.

gennyt, try the February RandomCat challenge: http://www.librarything.com/topic/148516#3848582

Finished another famous Swiss youth book: Mein Name ist Eugen

>159 gennyt: Genny, for the "meant to read in 2012" challenge I didn't mean for it to be specifically connected to TIOLI--if you got Winter in Madrid in April and meant to read it right away, or soon after, I'd say it matches the intent of my challenge. Of course, only you know what you meant to do...

Madeline, are you so busy looking at your svelte new body that you forgot TIOLI? It is the 28th, please!

> 163

Haven't forgotten it, but I'm not going to be updating the TIOLI any time soon. Sorry, Cheli!

I think it's someone else's "svelte" body you must be thinking of. Ha1

Added:

TIOLI #2 (haven't heard of before LT)
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

TIOLI #3 (not Big 6)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

TIOLI #7 (letter B)
The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey

TIOLI #8 (limited series)
Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

TIOLI #20 (new to me method - just got a Nook)
Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey

TIOLI #21 (meant to read in 2012)
Maigret and the Old Lady by Georges Simenon

TIOLI #22 (mostly pictures)
Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman - shared read

Not able to find a challenge to fit - anyone else read this?
Into the Woods by Kim Harrison

#165 - Morphidae, I have been waiting impatiently to get my hands on Ever After by Kim Harrison. Now it looks like I should add Into the Woods to the list. She's one of the authors I admit to going "squee" over when a new Hollows book comes out.

>166 AuntieClio: AuntieClio, be warned, some of the stories in Into the Woods are reprints.

They're a bit late, but I know you've been waiting for them...the TIOLI Awards for December 2013.

The Final Word Award goes to elkidee for reading The Long Weekend and to gennyt for reading Death Comes as the End because both of these challengers picked a book where the word "end" (you guessed it...) came at the end of the book's title.

The I Must Have Done It Award goes to majkia for cyderry's challenge to read a book where there are more than half the letters in the alphabet in the title. No, I didn't count all the letters. I just counted the words. With 26 *words* in the title, I just figured it had enough letters! :)

The What Color Was That Award goes to lindapanzo for her own challenge to read a book that has both red and green on the cover. I found it amusing that the title of her book, Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse had the color "blue in it.

The Some are Short; Others Are Long Award goes to Megi53 for reading Pale Fire for Britt84's challenge to read a long poem. She chose the poetry book with the shortest title!

The It's About Time Award goes to christiguc for reading the Doll and to DeltaQueen for reading Leopard Unleashed for christiguc's own challenge to read a book you were given as a present on an Occasion. Both challengers read books that were given to them 5 years ago at Christmas (in 2008).

The Entertain That Canine Award goes to gennyt for reading The Outing for pbadeer's challenge to read a book aloud to someone else. Although several of you read aloud to people *and* canines, gennyt was the only person who read *only* to her "long-suffering dog". I hope the dog enjoyed that book!

Congrats to all the award winners!

It's time now to start thinking up a creative challenge to offer for February...

I have a couple challenges in mind already...

#167, morphidae thanks for the heads up. I've missed most of the stuff not actually in a Hollows book so I should be okay.

Wow, I have never won an award for procrastination before! Thanks, Madeline.

I'm doing a happy dance for that and also because Heather managed to get The Secret Adversary into Challenge #11. I've been trying all month to add it, but my timing for "first" was alway off!

Congratulations of all the award winners!

> 171

I have never won an award for procrastination before!

LOL!!

Judy, I really should take your procrastination award away and give it to myself! I am probably even more deserving of that award than you are...and not only just for books and reading either! :D

No-o-o!! Clinging to my award tightly - you'll have to take me as well!

Okay. You can keep it! :)

My challenge for Feb is ready to roll...

I won TWO awards! How exciting! But the second one I think I should pass on to Ty the greyhound, who really earned it.

>171 DeltaQueen50:: We get awards for procrastination now? How on earth did I miss out?

LOL. Thanks for the award! I didn't count the letters in that title either, but like you, Madeline, I figured with that many words in the title, most of them had to be in there!

Congrats to everyone else too.

FYI - Only J, K, X and Z were missing from the title. 22 letters out of 26 - great job - definitely worthy of the award!

I'm joining Morphy for a shared read of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle in Challenge 7 - a 'B' in the name.

>The Some are Short; Others Are Long Award goes to Megi53 for reading Pale Fire for Britt84's challenge to read a long poem. She chose the poetry book with the shortest title!

Thank you! That was unexpected and a nice moment to brighten my day.

Always nice to win an award. Thanks, Madeline!!

> 181, 182

You're welcome, ladies!

Madeline, are we going to have a TIOLI in February?
We're lost without you!

Remember that time Madeline's power was out and we were all wondering why she was torturing us by delaying the TIOLI post?

Madeline, I hope your power is not out this time!

I stayed home yesterday thinking that the challenges would be posted, but now must leave the house for groceries. She'll probably post while I'm out!

She seems to have a sixth sense that way!

Waiting...waiting...and not very patiently either

I can hear Madeline's snickers from here!

Read a book where the leader of a group of people has them all begging.

Sigh, yes. It's frustrating, as I can't figure out which book to prioritize to finish this month, versus what can easily be carried over into a Feb TIOLI challenge.

She's not snickering, I assure you - she's doing her taxes.

So you should all just sit quiet and patient until she's done with the horrid business... :)

Taxes? Now really. What's more important.

Yes, that's more or less what I said when she stood me up for our tutored read session yesterday. :)

I heard the IRS wasn't going to start processing for another few weeks so getting them done now won't help.

#195 Cheli, I think tax processing starts today, at least acc to the IRS press release.

The suspense is killing me!

> 184

Of course, we're having TIOLI in February! What a question!!

> 189

*snicker snicker*

> 192

Well, I'm not snickering while I'm doing my taxes. That I can assure you!

Lurk, lurk, shuffles off to other threads

9 hours of January left to go in my part of the world!

Seriously though I haven't minded the wait - it means no distractions at work!

...except the distraction of constantly checking. But that goes without saying, right? :)

(Eleven hours here!)

One hour and one minute, now.

ETA: Got it! - 45 posts and 17 challenges late.

Like Chatterbox, I can finally relax into my current reading!

Well, I'd aimed to read 20 TIOLI's this month. I didn't quite make it but 15 is not too shabby. I think it's my best ever, quite possibly.

That's amazing, Linda. I may never get that high, TIOLI or non-TIOLI books, in one month.

#207 Gail, without NHL hockey, it seemed like all I did was read in the evenings. I doubt I'll read that many books now that hockey is back.

Ah yes, the distractions of t.v. I've been using foam earplugs while Dh watches, so I can move forward more quickly on my reading. Still, 15 TIOLI's is quite stunning.

I finished one more for January - Alan Bradley's latest Flavia de Luce book Speaking From Among the Bones. If anyone else finishes it today, I've got it listed in TIOLI #11.

Finished the last January readings: Our kind of traitor and Der Untergang des Hauses Usher, which is a shared read

I know how you feel, Samantha: those two things rarely happen for me, either!

I've added The King's Bastard to Challenge 5 (genre fiction from outside Europe / North America) - pending confirmation.

Phew! That makes 9 books this month, compared to my usual 5 or so; and all TIOLI reads!

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart - Challenge 7 (book with a B),
Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter - Challenge 21(meant to read in 2012),
The Fairytale Detectives by Michael Buckley - Challenge 2 (hadn't heard of author before LT),
The Phoenix Guards by Stephen Brust - Challenge 11 (first or last in series),
Karavans by Jennifer Roberson - Challenge 8 (part of limited series),
King's Dragon by Kate Elliott - Challenge 12 (king as a character),
Heat Wave by Richard Castle - Challenge 20 (new-to-you method - read for my own challenge, finally),
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle - Challenge 7 (book with a B) (woo hoo! a TIOLI point, finally),
The King's Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells - Challenge 5 (genre fiction outside Europe / N. America)

I did finish Ella Enchanted in the wee small hours of this morning, and I'm tempted to make it a round 10 books; but as February is a short month, I'll add it in there, and see if I can keep up this pace. :0)

Just finished my challenge #1 book (On Beauty)--whew! I always try to read a book for Madeline's challenge.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to finish The Golden Scales for the non-Western genre challenge. Running rapidly out of time for the month.

Karen O.

Housekeeping time...
Remember to delete all books not finished by 12 midnight tonight. Thanks much!

Delete unfinished books from the Wiki? Okay, did that. :)

You may add them to the February wiki - if they fit, that is.

Just deleted my unfinished books... Slightly late, I know *hangs head in shame*
And I didn't finish anything :/ Busybusybusy month, internship, work, exams, social obligations... Hoping to be able to read more in February, but it doesn't really look good. *sigh*

I was late to the game, Madeline and just cleaned up my wiki entries. Only managed 6 books read this month. :-(
Onward to Feb reads.

Sorry for being delayed, Madeline, real life reared it's ugly head. I have now updated the Wiki. And thanks for TIOLI -- I had a great time with it! And will be continuing on :)

I had a great time with it! And will be continuing on

Hurray!!

Jan 21 I finished Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James. It was an interesting, thought provoking read. Full review is here.