AlphaKIT for 2017

Welcome to the unofficial AlphaKIT. Everyone is invited to play every month, once in awhile, or simply to ignore this unofficial optional challenge.

Each month has two letters assigned to it. You can use these letters to help you sort your TBR however you like. First word in title, an author's initial, a character's name, a significant word in the title, name of a series, or ... It's pretty wide open so feel free to be creative.

I try to start a monthly thread by the 15th of the previous month, but everything will be detailed on the wiki once I set it up so it will be there for your use whenever you want to update it, or feel free to ignore that part of the challenge.

And, tada:

The magical blocks have been shaken- not stirred- and the results for 2017 are:

Jan - M & S
Feb - W & H
Mar - E & K
Apr - I & D
May - C & T
Jun - Y & N
Jul - B & G
Aug - O & F
Sep - U & P
Oct - A & V
Nov - L & Q
Dec - J & R

And as always, yearlong X and Z

2017 AlphaKIT wiki is here"
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2017_Unofficial_AlphaKIT

You've done such a lovely job of keeping the AlphaKIT going strong!

Yay!

LOL! And the planning was so quick for this one!

I might actually play next year! Not consciously, but at the end of each month I'll list whatever happens to fit the letters. :)

>5 rabbitprincess: More than welcome to play that way!

So glad this will continue, it definitely helps me to dig through that humongous TBR pile and choose something to read.

So glad this Kit is continuing. When I have multiple choices for a CAT, this is what makes picking one easier.

Awesome :) I'm glad to see it already present also! I'm in the exact same boat as >7 cyderry: :)

I'm here, and have starred this thread, woo!

Good to hear.

Woohoo!

I've created the 2017 AlphaKIT wiki:
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2017_Unofficial_AlphaKIT

>13 majkia: thank you!

Cool! Time to start thinking about my January choices!

I look forward to joining and making a tiny dent in the TBR

>16 LittleTaiko: and >17 kac522: I can't believe the year has flown so much! Welcome Kathy to our madness.

I'm going to join in this year year. It may be a way to work series reading in...S in January will probably be the 2nd in the series by C.J. Sansom.

About 10 years ago I decided to read from a college reading list by Alpha. My friends made terrible fun of me but I thought it worked great. I can still remember some I read; A was Sherwood Anderson, B was Enid Bagnold, C was Willie Collins...

>19 clue: Using Alpha really helps me whittle down the massive TBR I have. It gives me a place to start most months. Otherwise I might be frozen in place trying to figure out which of a hundred books to choose all of which I want to read NOW!

>20 majkia: I agree. I used to have so much trouble figuring out where to start each year but since I started using the AlphaKit, my reading just flows so much easier.

Thanks Jean, for all your efforts.

I'm with you guys - using the AlphaKit helps me kick start my reading for any given month. If not, I'd be standing there staring at my shares for days trying to decide what I was in the mood for.

Me four...

Sometimes I narrow it down by listing my ROOT books (been on my shelves, unread, for a year or more), and then using Alpha to choose which one(s) to read.

Just to point out that the AlphaKIT general thread and wiki are not listed on the front page for the 2017 category challenge group.

>24 Robertgreaves: Thanks for the reminder. I'd been meaning to drop her a line. Done now.

January thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/243405

Yearlong X and Z thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/243407

>26 majkia: thanks!

I have never done a book challenge, but this seems simple enough. I think I will try it. Do I need to make my own thread of what I am reading or just post on the monthly ones.

You don't need to make a thread, unless you want to. Most of us don't. But we do comment on the monthly thread and update the wiki. But then those are optional too!

Welcome!

thanks

>28 lowelibrary: glad you joined us...it is fun!

Finished one book so far - The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders. Nice way to kick off this challenge.

February AlphaKIT is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/246693

Question about the wiki: are the listings in any particular order? alpha by title? or by author? or just randomly out there?

alpha by title

>35 majkia: Ah, OK, thanks, I will make my first attempt to update the wiki.

>36 kac522: Be Brave! IF you don't get it quite right, one of us will fix it. :)

Posted in the wrong place!

March AlphaKIT post is up! http://www.librarything.com/topic/249043

April AlphaKIT post is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/251826

>41 majkia: thanks!

May thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/255047

June thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/257188

Is there a July thread?

>47 LittleTaiko: Yes! July thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/259425

August thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/265082

I hope everyone is still enjoying the AlphaKIT thread.

I'm definitely still enjoying it! It's the first one I pick books for each month. Thanks for keeping us going each month!

>50 majkia: I'm enjoying AlphaKIT too! I love trying to find books to fit, especially this year when I limited my choice to mysteries. Thanks majkia.

Helps me choose my books each month!

>50 majkia: I am enjoying it, still! Thank you!

Many times, something I'm reading anyway will fit, but I love that it will help me pick things off my tbr if there isn't something I'm reading anyway. I particularly hope to find ones that are less well-known (i.e. have fewer tags, so they don't come up with I search for other challenges via tags!).

My own challenge this year is based on the alphabet but I would be participating anyway as I love these alphabet matchups, another great way to pull books from my own shelves.

>50 majkia: I am, this was my first year to try it, and it's really helped me concentrate on my TBR. If it is included in next year's challenges I'll definitely join in.

Though I don't post in the ALPHAkit threads, I do keep up with the Wikis! This is my first year participating in the ALPHA challenge, and I really love checking my stacks and pulling out prospective titles each month! :-)

I love the AlphaKit! I try to always get at least one book read each month that matches the challenge. :)

Thanks guys. I'll keep it up then. :)

September thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/267222

October thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/269474

>61 majkia: yippee!

November thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/271008

>63 majkia: thank you, kindly!

Thought I would give everyone a heads up:

RE: the wikis.

I posted here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/274788#6241961

And was referred to another thread where the wikis have been turned off due to spam? Until they get some kind of fix.

>65 LibraryCin: thanks for the heads up!

December thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/274864

wiki edits still not available. hopefully soon.

>68 majkia: thanks. We'll survive while the LT staff fixes the spammer problems.

Sorry to hear Sue Grafton died. She was not well enough to write the planned Z is for Zero.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/mystery-writer-sue-grafton-...

>70 VivienneR: sorry to hear that as well.