Take It or Leave It Challenge - May 2018 - Page 1

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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Your challenge for May 2018 is to
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Read a book with the bespectacled author’s picture somewhere on or in that book
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Rules:
1. List where the author’s picture can be found. The author must be wearing eyeglasses in the picture.
2. Sunglasses are acceptable.

Example:
Beautiful Music - Michael Zadoorian (inside back cover)

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

1. The May 2018 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

Wiki Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book with the bespectacled author’s picture somewhere on or in that book - msg #1 - thread
2. Read a book That Has A Title Word That Starts with the Letter G - msg #3
3. Read (or listen) to a book from YA Sync 2017 or 2018 - msg #7
4. Read a book that has a body part in the author's name - msg #13
5. Read a book by or about a muckraking author - msg #17
6. Read a book with an egg or a bird on the cover - msg #20 - thread

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book where part of the author's name begins with G - msg #22
8. Read a book whose title contains a word or words that are not in the book's main language - msg #32
9. Read a book with a character from Greek or Roman mythology in the title or author's name - msg #33
10. Read a book with characteristics of a vacation spot in the title - msg #34
11. Read a book you acquired on or after January 25, 2018 - msg #35
12. Read a book with the name of a specific flower in the title - message #49

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book related to the day in May you start or finish it - msg #37
14. Read a book where one word gives a Scrabble score of more than 2.5 points per letter - msg #55
15. Read a book where one word of the title or the author's name is an ingredient for baking bread, kind of rolling challenge - msg #72
16. Read a book with a one word title that also has a multi-word subtitle - msg #81
17. SCHOOLHOUSEROCK! Rolling Challenge - msg #82
18. Read a book recommended to you by a spouse/partner/significant other or, if single, by a close friend - msg #89

Challenges #19-24
19. Read a book about "old" books/writings - msg #94
20. Read a book with a two-word title, both starting with the same letter - msg #97
21. Read a Star Wars book - msg #107

Hold your challenge until the June 2018 TIOLI challenges are posted. Thank you!

Ha! Found you! Now I'm off to list my challenge and look for bespectacled authors. :)

Sorry, it took me awhile to get my challenge on the thread.

Challenge #2: Read a book that has a title word that begins with the letter "G"

>3 DeltaQueen50: *high five*

I'm thinking it might be fun to see our bespectacled authors so I'm going to post a separate thread for optional pictures. These can be from anywhere and not from your book. However your book MUST have a picture of your bespectacled author!

I keep trying to write "bespeckled" authors. That's for another challenge, I guess. Haha! I've been birdwatching too much. I must have eggs on my mind.

LOL @ bespeckled! I found a bespectacled author in my planned May reads. Yes! but now I'm in a cleaning groove so I'll post it later.

Challenge #3: Read or listen to a book from YA Sync 2017 or 2018

The new season of free audiobooks from YA Sync has started again, April 26th. I still have some titles from last year (https://audiobooksync.com/2017-sync-titles/) but now I'm all excited about the titles from this year (https://audiobooksync.com/2018-sync-titles/)

There is always a mix of classic books with new YA titles, nonfiction and fiction. Sign up for the weekly reminders to download the books. You can keep the books for as long as you like, but you only have the one week available to download each title. Not all books are available in all countries due to publishing rights which is a pain.

2018 titles:
April 26 – May 2
THE GREAT WAR by David Almond, John Boyne, Tracy Chevalier, Ursula Dubosarsky, Timothée de Fombelle, et al
A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE by Brittany Cavallaro

May 3 – May 9
THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY Written and Narrated by Luis Alberto Urrea
SOLO by Kwame Alexander, with Mary Rand Hess

May 10 – May 16
JOHNNY GET YOUR GUN by John Ball
ON TWO FEET AND WINGS Written and Narrated by Abbas Kazerooni

May 17 – May 23
BEING JAZZ Written and Narrated by Jazz Jennings
SAVING MONTGOMERY SOLE by Mariko Tamaki

May 24 – May 30
WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon
BAKER'S MAGIC by Diane Zahler

May 31 – June 6
LOVE AND FIRST SIGHT by Josh Sundquist
EXTRAORDINARY MEANS by Robyn Schneider

June 7 – June 13
EVERLAND by Wendy Spinale
THE JUST MEN OF CORDOVA by Edgar Wallace

June 14 – June 20
MY NAME IS NOT FRIDAY by Jon Walter
COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM by Gigi Amateau

June 21 – June 27
OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsberg
DOCTOR CERBERUS by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

June 28 – July 4
MACBETH by William Shakespeare
THE CURSE OF CROW HOLLOW by Billy Coffey

July 5 – July 11
GIRLS LIKE US by Gail Giles
THE INVISIBLE GIRLS by Sarah Thebarge

July 12 – July 18
HOW TO HANG A WITCH Written and Narrated by Adriana Mather
THE SCARLET LETTER by Nathaniel Hawthorne

July 19 – July 25
THE LOST WORLD by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
MONSTROUS BEAUTY by Elizabeth Fama

>7 raidergirl3: I can not reach that site, might it be only available in the USA?

>8 FAMeulstee: No, because I am in Canada, and the site should say what countries can get which book, and the majority of the books are available world wide. I don't know how to link anything differently, so try googling 'ya sync' and see if you can find the titles. I'll try to add the list of books to my post.

>9 raidergirl3: Third was the charm, I just tried again :-)
Maybe it was too busy for a moment, sorry for my impatience.

>10 FAMeulstee: Oh good! I got the 2018 titles listed above for anyone to see.

Madeline, I think you have a typo in the wiki list link thread post. The link goes to this page https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_Mayl_201...
There's an l after "May" and the page is empty.

Challenge #4 -- Read a book that has a body part in the author's name (embedded words OK)

Some examples:
David Handler
Armstrong
Pearce
Greg Bear
Sharon Shinn
Joan Haslip

>12 Helenliz: I'm not following where the problem is. I see the empty page, but where is the "wiki list link thread post"?

>14 SqueakyChu: This post: http://www.librarything.com/topic/80417#1680410

>15 owlie13: Thanks! Fixed.

Challenge #5: Read a book by or about a muckraking author
I’m going to try reading The Jungle, but that might be too much for this vegetarian. I also want to read something by Ida B. Wells.
From Wikipedia: In contemporary American use, the term describes either a journalist who writes in the adversarial or alternative tradition, or a non-journalist whose purpose in publication is to advocate reform and change.3 Investigative journalists view the muckrakers as early influences and a continuation of watchdog journalism.
You can use one of the traditional, Progressive Era muckrakers or a more modern on. Here are a couple of lists, but now there are tons of political muckraking books.

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-muckrakers.php
https://www.thoughtco.com/who-were-the-muckrakers-104842
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/muckraking
http://www.american-historama.org/1881-1913-maturation-era/muckrakers.htm
https://www.abebooks.com/books/muckraking-journalism-expose-critical-scandal/fas...

>17 Citizenjoyce: Do you mean you want to try and read Upton Sinclair's The Jungle?
Then I might join you.

>18 FAMeulstee: I’m going to try

In Dutch we have a saying "In May all birds lay an egg":

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Challenge #6: Read a book with an egg or a bird on the cover
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Thread to show your cover

>15 owlie13: thanks for explaining what I meant. Like so much, it made sense in my head...
>16 SqueakyChu: and thank you for fixing.

Challenge #7: Read a book where part of the author's name begins with G

This was purely inspired by DeltaQueen's challenge, since my current library books have plenty of AUTHOR G's, but no titles. First, middle, or last names are all acceptable.

>13 owlie13: Would "lid" (as in eyelid) count as a body part?

>23 wandering_star: Yep. I'm going to be pretty liberal with this one, since I don't think it's very easy.

>3 DeltaQueen50: What’s the significance of G this month?

>20 FAMeulstee: I just finished See What I Have Done and it has a bird prominent on the cover. And I couldn’t find a spot for it this month. Drat!

>26 raidergirl3: Read the last sentence again when May has started?

>21 Helenliz: Haha! I really could not figure out what the meaning of "wiki list link thread post" was!

>27 FAMeulstee: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! :)

>25 Citizenjoyce: Joyce, there is no special significance to "G" for me, I just happened to notice that I had a number of books set aside to read in May and they all had a "G" in the title. Voila! My self-serving challenge was born. Susanna's Challenge #7 helped as well since I also had a book with an author whose first name started with a "G" as well.

>24 owlie13: thanks!

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Challenge #8: Read a book whose title contains a word or words that are not in the book's main language

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This would include words that have been "adopted" into a second language (e.g. the French term 'déjà vu' is used in English), and words from a dead language. A place name would count if it was not the term ordinarily used for a place in the book's main language.

However, personal names do not count.

Challenge #9: Read a book with a character from Greek or Roman mythology in the title or author's name

I hope this is straightforward. I'll be reading:

Circe - Madeline Miller
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao
- Martha Batalha

Challenge #10: Read a book with characteristics of a vacation spot in the title

The Wide Sargasso Sea

Little House on the Prairie

ETA: Embedded words are fine with me.

Challenge #11: Read a book you acquired on or after January 25, 2018

On January 25, 2018, I learned about the mass in my chest. During all the days of worry, until the mass was removed on April 18th, I picked up a number of books and now, in May, I hope to read many of these.

If possible, provide the day you acquired the book, or at least the month of acquisition.

>13 owlie13: Would you accept core as a body part?

>35 lindapanzo: Since you carefully used 'acquired', Linda, I'm assuming that library books, Kindle Unlimited / Prime loans, etc. would count?

Challenge #13 May Day - Read a book related in some way to the day in May you start or finish it

May 1st, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day (US) - printed on a calendar if you use one, or listed under may on this list:United Nations International Days

1) A noun, verb, adjective, or adverb in the title matches a word describing the day

2) A picture on the cover matches a word describing the day

3) The message or subject of the book closely relates to the day

>37 quondame: You need to add the challenge to the wiki, then add it to the thread. There is already a challenge 12 in the wiki.

Planned reads for the month
Challenge #1: Read a book with the bespectacled author’s picture somewhere on or in that book - started by SqueakyChuedit
✔The Boston Girl - Anita Diamant (4.5)
Challenge #2: Read a book That Has A Title Word That Starts with the Letter G - started by DeltaQueen
✔A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith (5)
Challenge #3: Read (or listen) to a book from YA Sync 2017 or 2018 - started by raidergirl3
Monstrous Beauty - Elizabeth Fama
*✔Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys (4.5)
Challenge #4: Read a book that has a body part in the author's name - started by owlie13edit
*✔The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports -Jeff Passan (4)
*✔Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World - Jennifer Palmieri (4)
Challenge #5: Read a book by or about a muckraking author - started by Citizenjoyce
*✔The Jungle - Upton Sinclair (3.5)
On Lynchings - Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Challenge #6: Read a book with an egg or a bird on the cover - started by FAMeulstee
*✔To the Bright Edge of the World - Eowyn Ivey (4.5)
The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater
Challenge #7: Read a book where part of the author's name begins with G - started by susanna.fraser
✔Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family's Feuds - Lyndall Gordon (3.5)
Challenge #8: Read a book whose title contains a word or words that are not in the book's main language - started by lyzard
*✔Medicus - Ruth Downie (4)
Challenge #9: Read a book with a character from Greek or Roman mythology in the title or author's name - started by wandering_star
✔Dragon Teeth - Michael Crichton (3.5)
Challenge #10: Read a book with characteristics of a vacation spot in the title - started by Carmenere
✔Angle of Repose - Wallace Stegner (3)
Challenge #11: Read a book you acquired on or after January 25, 2018 started by lindapanzo
✔A Day In the Life of Marlon Bundo - Jill Twiss (5)
✔Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker (3.5)
✔The Stars Are Fire - Anita Shreve (4)
Challenge #12: Read a book with the name of a specific flower in the title - started by Morphidae
✔Wink Poppy Midnight - April Genevieve Tucholke (4)
Rose Madder - Stephen King
Challenge #13: Read a book related to the day in May you start or finish it - started by quondame
✔Fascism: A Warning - Madeleine Albright (4)
Challenge # 14: Read a book where one word gives a Scrabble score of more than 2.5 points per letter - started by helenliz
✔The Chalk Man - C. J. Tudor (3.5)
Challenge # 15: Read a book where one word of the title or the author's name is an ingredient for baking bread, kind of rolling challenge - started by 0004;
Sugar, Butter, Flour: The Waitress Pie Book - Jenna Hunterson
*✔The Turner House - Angela Flournoy (3.5)
Challenge # 16: Read a book with a one word title that also has a multi-word subtitle - started by avatiakh
✔Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong-and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story - Angela Saini (5)
Challenge # 17: SCHOOLHOUSEROCK! Rolling Challenge - started by Dejah_Thoris
✔City of Secrets: A Novel - Stewart O'Nan (3.5)
Challenge # 18: Read a book recommended to you by a spouse/partner/significant other or, if single, by a close friend - started by neverstopreading
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows - Balli Kaur Jaswal
✔Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt (3)
Challenge #19: Read a book about "old" books/writings - Started by klobrien2
*✔The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts - Joshua Hammer (3.5)
Challenge #20: Read a book with a two-word title, both starting with the same letter - started by countrylife
✔Black Bear - Stephen R. Swinburne (3.5)
Challenge #21: Read a Star Wars book - started by humouress
✔Star Wars: Rebel Heroes - by Shari Last (4)

>2 SqueakyChu: The same typo (>12 Helenliz: an extra l after May) is in in the links to Challenges #13-17 and Challenges #18-24 in msg 2.

>36 Dejah_Thoris: Hmmm. Core is pretty vague. However, I used the Google and found this official definition "the muscles of the torso, especially the lower back and abdominal area, which assist in the maintenance of good posture, balance, etc.", so I will say YES.

>40 FAMeulstee: Got it. Thanks!

>36 Dejah_Thoris: Absolutely. I plan to include books purchased, Net Galley books, and library books. I’ve got a Fitst to Read book and would’ve included that except that the author’s name is Gary.

>37 quondame: I don’t understand your challenge. Can you further explain it?

Please post your challenge on this wiki page and change its number. I take the challenge number directly from the wiki and not from any thread post.

FYI: Any book started on a parameter day must also be COMPLETED before the end of the month to qualify for a TIOLI challenge.

>41 owlie13: Thank you! That was the definition I was going for. I'll add Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey to the wiki.

>43 lindapanzo: Thanks, Linda. You challenge will be an easy home for many books this month, although I still have a few that I can't work into a challenge yet.

I had a fairly narrow challenge I was going to add that is May specific, but we already have some pretty difficult challenges this month! I have a much more general challenge that I may add just to fit a few more books. I'll see what everyone else come up with......

>34 Carmenere: Would Far From Home qualify for your challenge?

>46 FAMeulstee: Not exactly what I was looking for but YES I will accept it. It is an attribute of a vacation.

>38 Helenliz: >44 SqueakyChu: I think I've got it now. Let me know if the explanation still needs expansion. Isn't it always the case that a book has to be completed within the month to qualify for counting?

Ugh, sorry, folks. I posted this on the April thread. *insert eye roll here*

" " " " " " "
  " " " " " " "

April showers bring May flowers.

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Challenge #12: Read a book with the name of a specific flower in the title

It has to be a specific flower such as "daisy" or "lilac" not "flower" or "flowers" or "wildflowers." It cannot be parts of a flower such as "petals" or "thorns." Imbedded words will not be allowed for this challenge though plurals will be.

Links (for assistance, you aren't obliged to use these lists):

Goodreads Listopia Flowers in Titles
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6041.Flowers_in_Titles?page=1

Wikipedia List of Flowers
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:List_of_flowers

>37 quondame: Susan - it's not on the U.N. list, but May 12th (Florence Nightingale's birthday) is International Nurses Day. Would you accept a book about nurses or nursing or with a nurse as a main character? I had considered a Challenge with a focus on nursing for May, but your Challenge opens up many more options.

And I'm also thinking about The Beekeeper's Lament for May 20th, World Bee Day.

>50 Dejah_Thoris: Sure. Choosing the books is meant to be easy. Finishing on the right day should get extra credit, but well. Starting just means a bit of scheduling.

>44 SqueakyChu: Is there an accepted etiquette for positioning your wiki entry above or below others? This relates to the Meter entries and individual challenge entries within a challenge.

>52 quondame: I'm not SqueakyChu but I can answer those questions.

For the Meter entries, place your name under above other entries with the same number of books as you.

For challenge entries, most of the time you should put them in alphabetical order (not including articles such as a, an, or the.)

The exception for this is when the challenge requires otherwise such as a rolling challenge. For instance, April had the musical scale challenge where you had to list the book titles in do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do order. In March, we had the pangram rolling challenge: "How vexingly quick daft zebras jump!" where you had to have a book titles in the order of the letters of the sentence. (Or in that case, fill in the open letters until they were all full.)

>53 Morphidae: OK, I've just been adding my books to the end - I guess I should go re-position them...

====Challenge # 14: Read a book where one word gives a Scrabble score of more than 2.5 points per letter - started by helenliz====

Scrabble is one of those games that I used to play as a child and was, frankly, abysmal at. The popularity of online versions baffles me. It comes with a slight inability to spell, I suppose. We also used to play rules that you had to know the meaning of the word you played - which was a rule introduced to stop my Granny sitting there with the Scrabble dictionary and playing any random set of two letters.

There are 100 tiles in a standard English game of Scrabble, with a total of 187 points (excluding the double & triple squares). Meaning that, on average, a letter is worth 1.87 points. But we don't aspire to be average, we can do better than that. >:-)

Your challenge is to read a book where one word, and it can be any length, scores more than 2.5 points per letter.

Please highlight the word you have chosen and include its letter score and the number of letters in brackets in the wiki.

If you need it for reference, the letter scores are as follows:
1 point: E, A, I, O, N, R, T, L, S, U
2 points: D, G
3 points: B, C, M, P
4 points: F, H, V, W, Y
5 points: K
8 points: J, X
10 points: Q, Z

>55 Helenliz: Can you confirm I figured this right? For The Mayhem Sisters, the word Mayhem is M-3, A-1, Y-4, H-4, E-1, M-3 = 16 points/6 letters = 2.67 points per letter. Right?

>53 Morphidae: for the meter entries, this is what the page says. "Put a hash mark and your name directly under the number of TIOLI books you've completed for this month (FYI: ON *TOP* OF THE OTHER NAMES, THEREBY PUSHING THOSE OTHER NAMES DOWNWARD). "

So don't you put your name at the top, not the bottom?

>56 owlie13: yup, all calculations correct.

>52 quondame: >57 owlie13: Please follow the directions on the meter entries' page not my years old memory of what I thought it said.

What a maroon...

>57 owlie13: >59 Morphidae: Pouting here. That seems so rude!

>55 Helenliz: If I have a Dutch title, should I use the Dutch scrabble values?

>60 quondame:

But it's meant to be a game of leap-frog, remember! :D

>62 lyzard: But coming equal isn't leap-frogging!

>48 quondame: Yep. I understand it now.

Yes, the book always has to be completed by month's end.

>52 quondame: When you have a challenge to post, post it FIRST on the wiki page. This secures its challenge number. It's first come, first served.

When you have a book to enter in a challenge, add it alphabetically unless it is a rolling challenge.

On the TIOLI meter as you jump up a notch, add your name to the TOP of that numbered entry. It's a way of playing LEAP FROG...and is just for fun. This gives everyone the chance to be on top of a number jump each time.

>53 Morphidae: For the Meter entries, place your name under other entries with the same number of books as you.

No...it should go on TOP of the other entries.

>60 quondame: It's not rude. It's a game called leap frog in which you leap over the person in front of you. It's not a race. There are no winners or losers. Everyone simply moves up.

>63 quondame: Leap frog is simply jumping over the person (in this case, the people) ahead of you. It's not meant to have any special significance otherwise. It began because our mascots are frogs. It fit in with our theme.

>61 FAMeulstee: For ease of adding up, can you use English scoring? If a letter doesn't exist in English Scrabble tiles, that would need to be scored as a blank and be worth 0 points.

>68 Helenliz: I solved it with finding a book with the same title in Dutch and English :-)

I have made a thread for Challenge #6. Thread to show your cover with an egg or a bird.

>70 FAMeulstee: Good idea!

Challenge # 15: Read a book where one word is an ingredient for baking bread, kind of rolling challenge

Okay, lets make some bread with yeast, water, flour, and salt. When one bread is made, we start with a new one. So, each round has three entries, before we start a new one. If someone wants to add something special to our bread like nuts or potatoes, feel free to add a fourth or fifth ingredient.

Read a book where the words flour, water, or salt appear. That gives one round, then starts anew one with new 'ingredients'/books. Since yeast is so rare in a title, I provide the yeast for all the bread, but feel free to add some more yeast if you read such a book.

One book, one bread, one challenger.
Embedded words are fine.

Bon appetit

Anita (FAMeulstee) found the proper book for my challenge: Farina acqua lievito sale passione : vera pizza napoletana. - Malvarosa : Casa Editrice, 2013 (a flour-water-yeast-salt passion for the good old pizza napoletane), everything in one go, perfect, thanks for that addition. Okay, pizza is fine with me

>73 paulstalder: That was the best match I could find at the library, Paul ;-)
Now hoping it arrives on time!

>72 paulstalder: Just for clarification, Paul, one of the words yeast, flour, water or salt must appear in the title OR the text? You and Anita have picked such perfectly titled books I just wanted to be sure....

And if in text, do you want page / location numbers?

Thanks!

>1 SqueakyChu: Are pictures allowed on this page?

>75 Dejah_Thoris: the words must appear in the title or the authors name.
Sorry, I apparently was so concentrating on baking bread, that I totally forgot to include that vital information. Thanks for reminding me

--> Read a book where one word of the title or the author's name is an ingredient for baking bread

>77 paulstalder: Thanks, Paul! I've moved a book that fits.

Sigh. I still don't have a place for two books. I may be posting a challenge.....

>33 wandering_star: Would you say Homer is a character from Greek Mythology? It might be crossing a thin line but I thought I'd try.

>33 wandering_star: I can get Orion out of Horizon, but would you accept it?

I haven't been reading much of late but still have a challenge for this month -

Challenge # 16: Read a book with a one word title that also has a multi-word subtitle

I'll be reading Curry: eating, reading and race. I had wanted to do a food title challenge but that intruded a little into Paul territory so have gone with this one.

I hate to add another when we already have so many, butI have two books that I cannot fit into a Challenge, and it’s driving me crazy. So:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Challenge #17: SCHOOLHOUSEROCK! Rolling Challenge
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bob Dorough, the creator of the very first Schoolhouse Rock! tune (Three is a Magic Number), died in April. I can still sing half a dozen of those silly, wonderful, educational tunes - Interplanet Janet, I’m Just a Bill, Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here, Sufferin’ ‘til Sufferage, The Preamble, Conjunction Junction - and I know I’m not alone.

I propose a rolling challenge of SCHOOLHOUSEROCK! - any first letter from a word in the title or subtitle will do. The ! is a free space - any title is acceptable.

Also, for the letter O ONLY, you may use a first letter of an author’s name. Four Os are quite a lot…..

You may post more than one book at a time, although I ask that they be books you’re truly intending to read, at least at the moment you add it. We all know that not every book works out!

17 challenges and I've still got a challenge book I can't place...eep!

C'mon: someone out there must still have something REALLY GENERIC, right?? :D

>83 lyzard: Ok - I'm making a minor change to my challenge - the ! is now a free space - anything goes!

Now we just have to get there.....

MINE!! MINE!! MINE!! :D

Maybe I should get working on some 'O' books...

>79 Carmenere:, >80 quondame:, I afraid it's no to both your questions... I am OK with embedded words but not embedded words with other letters in the middle!

>82 Dejah_Thoris: Now I've got Lolly, Lolly, Lolly stuck in my head! I used to love those -- Zero, My Hero!

OK, I've run out of low hanging fruit and am having to work the dough, but 3 down! I doubt I'll be able to keep up after this.

Challenge #18: Read a book recommended to you by a spouse/partner/significant other or, if single, by a close friend

The idea is that you go ask the person who (maybe, possibly, ideally?) knows you best what you should read. If you're in a relationship, it would be your partner. If not, a close friend is fine. If you're widowed and you know of a book they wanted you to read but you still haven't read, you can read that one.

EDIT: My wife, who knows nothing about the TIOLI challenge, effectively gave me another challenge. I said, "What should I read?" Her response was, "Read something with the word game in it."

>89 neverstopreading: Isn't #18 meant to start a new page?

>90 quondame: I don't know. Post #>2 SqueakyChu: lists "Challenges 13-17" but then counts to 18. Then the Wiki navigation section has 13-18 and 19-24.

>91 neverstopreading: Well, now, that's just confusing.

I can't count. That's the problem! It's fixed. Thanks for the heads up. :D

Sorry, all, but I'm putting another challenge out there -- #19!! I have a couple of books that I've already spent some time on, that I'd love to include in TIOLI, and I haven't posted a challenge in months.

Every few years, someone has posted a challenge: "Read a book about books" (2010 (gotta be one of our first), 2011, 2014, 2015 (the book was to be mentioned or listed in a book about books). I think it's time for a look back, so my challenge is:

=====Challenge #19: Read a book about "old" books/writing=====

The two books I've placed in the challenge are An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic by Daniel Mendelsohn, and The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish.

I am so accepting of any arguments for books that you'd want to include here, you wouldn't believe it. I hope that this isn't a difficult challenge (we have a few of those this month!) I'll post if and when I think of other books that would work here.

Karen O.

>94 klobrien2: Would you consider The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts? I've been meaning to get to it for a while.

>95 Dejah_Thoris: That looks good, I added it. Now I also hope it's allowed.

*********************************
Challenge #20: Read a book with a two-word title, both starting with the same letter.
*********************************

Because three of my TBRs this month did not fit any other challenges, but had this in common.

Diamond Dust - Peter Lovesey
Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz
Telling Tales - Ann Cleeves

>7 raidergirl3: Having just finished 2 heavy reads and 2 purely tedious reads I'm opting for something that I hope has very little current political relevance.

>95 Dejah_Thoris: >96 Citizenjoyce: that would be perfect for the challenge! I read it last year and loved it!

Karen O.

I just finished The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes by David Handler for my own TIOLI #4, and I have to tell everyone -- if you are looking for clever, witty, interesting mysteries with an intriguing pair of sleuths (a celebrity ghostwriter and his basset hound), you can't go wrong with this series. Stewart Hoag and his dog Lulu. One in the series won the Edgar award The Man Who Would be F. Scott Fitzgerald, and they are all marvelous. Seriously - couldn't recommend these books more.

Shared Read Question

So if I'm reading a book for challenge #16 and someone else is reading it for #8 it looks like that still qualifies as a shared read from what the FAQ doesn't say, which is nothing about the challenge for which the book is being read. What is the suggested way to document this?

>101 quondame: It’s not a shared read if it’s not in the same challenge. You can move one of the books to a different challenge so two of the same books are listed together. Only that situation is a “shared read”.

>102 SqueakyChu: Is that stated in the FAQ? I propose that if it is not, then until the written rules change, the fact of sharing a read in the same month quite meets the specification. Though it is harder to track. I may just move the challenge so it can share in one, but if not it shouldn't be disqualified.

>103 quondame: Thanks for moving Medicus to share with me. It's the only book I have in challenge 8, and I really want to read it.

>104 Citizenjoyce: Well I haven't quite permanently moved it, but as far as I read from the FAQ there is no written requirement, though being new there is possibly, even likely, precedent of which I am not aware. But the month is young, and even on slow months I read a good deal, so, who knows. I've got it checked out from the library, so I will read it. The sequel works too!

Since Madeline tallies up shared reads, I imagine it would be difficult to note them across threads. And since TIOLI is her "baby" and she organizes it out of the goodness of her heart, I think we should defer to her on the rules. AS far as I know, a shared read has always meant a book read by two participants for the same challenge. I'm sure she'd be happy to put something in the FAQs clarifying it going forward.

ETA: The shared reads are often why you see people commenting on seeing the same book in two different challenges and asking if someone wants to move theirs in order to get the points.

How odd that it's not in the rules; there's almost always been a discussion about moving books to the same challenge every month.

Madeline, if you're still accepting challenges, I propose

Challenge 21: Read a 'Star Wars' book.

Madeline help, please. I wanted to change the counting in my challenge #15: I thought I'd like to count the number of breads we are baking, not the books we read. But it didn't turn out that way. Can you improve that? Or do I impose to many changes there?

>108 paulstalder: I am not Madeline, but gave it a try. Is it now better?

>109 FAMeulstee: viel dank, Anita. It looks much better but it is not what I intended. I thought to restrict the counting to whole breads only. Putting the 🍞 in front of the # apparently changes the paragraph setting. Oh well, if it's too complicated, leave it as it is.

>110 paulstalder: Did you mean to put the 🍞 for every ingredient, Paul?
That is possible by putting the 🍞 AFTER the # with a space in between.

>20 FAMeulstee: Does the egg on the cover have to be a whole egg? Or can it be a cooked egg?

>111 FAMeulstee: No.
1🍞
- flour
- water
- salt
2🍞
- flour
- etc

>112 lindapanzo: Cooked egg is fine.

>113 paulstalder: That is not possible without messing up the number of books read in your challenge... at least as far as I know, sorry.
Maybe someone else has a solution.

>114 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. One of my category challenges this year is books about food and I think I can work in a book or two about eggs. I'm also pleased that I found a food-related muckraker book for Joyce's challenge.

>106 katiekrug: >107 humouress: I'm perfectly happy abiding by rules and precedents. If the goal is sharing reads, then requiring them to be in the same challenge is a bit of an impediment, but not an overwhelming one. I would just include the shared read in both or all challenges, but only count it for one on the TIOLI meter.

>115 lindapanzo: a muckraking food book. Too funny.

>117 Citizenjoyce: Fast Food Nation. In fact, I think it was in one of your lists.

>106 katiekrug: Since Madeline tallies up shared reads, I imagine it would be difficult to note them across threads.

This is exactly why I have this rule and want it to stay that way. I'll add a rule to the FAQs to make it clearer. It is also why I have the option to move a book once posted. It's also why no one can move someone else's book (because often there is a reason which overshadows a shared read--a sweep, for example).

>106 katiekrug: I'm sure she'd be happy to put something in the FAQs clarifying it going forward.

I'll do that. Done. I apologize for it not having been in the rules before. Truthfully, I haven't looked at the rules for ages.

>107 humouress: I'll take your challenge, but you do have to post it on the wiki first. Hold all other challenges until the June challenges are listed.

>108 paulstalder: I don't want to count the breads baking. The problem with counting breads baking is that it ruins the stats for individual reads. I want to know how many books are successfully COMPLETED for each challenge. You can count breads if you want. I rethought this. See the next message and the wiki for your challenge.

>116 quondame: If the goal is sharing reads, then requiring them to be in the same challenge is a bit of an impediment, but not an overwhelming one

A "shared read" is not the same book in two different challenges. A "shared read" is the same book in the same challenge, one listed under the other. Only the latter qualifies for TIOLI points. I'm sorry that wasn't clear to you at the outset. I do not want this changed. You may use the TIOLI meter however you like. It's for your personal use tallying whatever you'd like to tally.

I would just include the shared read in both or all challenges, but only count it for one on the TIOLI meter.

That's fine with me (except that it would not have the same meaning for all those challengers who try for TOP NEWT status). Please note that this is not a competition of any kind. It's merely a fun stat and nothing more.

I hope I've clarified my thoughts on all these issues. Let me know if I haven't.

>108 paulstalder: I went back to divide up your challenge into three breads. That works well for me. See if you like it. I love the bread symbols. The Bread #2 has no yeast. Does that mean it's matzo?! Haha!

>114 FAMeulstee: That is not possible without messing up the number of books read in your challenge... at least as far as I know, sorry. Maybe someone else has a solution.

I don't mind the "messed up" numbers. I can count the books individually for my totals. That won't be too difficult. I think the individual breads look kind of cute! :D

This has nothing to do with issues on our TIOLI challenges, but I want to say how much I love and appreciate all of you. You have sustained me on this TIOLI habit/hobby of mine for over eight years now -- bringing me fun, companionship, conversation, and great reads. Thank you all so much!

>107 humouress: >119 SqueakyChu: Thanks Madeline. In that case, in honour of the 4th of May,

***********************************
Challenge 21 : Read a Star Wars book
************************************

May the Fourth, I mean, Force be with you!

>123 humouress: In the interest of shared reads, I am happy to accept any version (within reasonable limits) of novelisation of the same film or episode, for example graphic novel or children’s book of ‘Revenge of the Sith’. What are the TIOLI rules on this?

>17 Citizenjoyce: Would undercover investigating journalism, ment to expose wrongs fall under "muckraking"?
The book is Lowest of the Low by Günter Wallraff

>125 FAMeulstee: The broadest definition of muckraking journalism is investigative journalism seeking to expose wrongs, so yes that counts.
>118 lindapanzo: of course Fast Food Nation is muckraking journalism. The idea just sounded funny to me.

>120 SqueakyChu: Oh great, that's more to my taste. Thanks for changing everything.

Matze (as we call it) is okay with me. But Kingsley wrote so much yeast that that should be enough for ten breads, I guess :) We had a Jewish bakery in Basel till the end of 2016 where they made 'proper' = kosher matzen and challe (don't know that one in English).

>124 humouress: I’ll go with what you want to do for your challenge in this special situation. We have no rule about this situation. Generally, I’d rule any book with the same title but a different author as a different book. However, I’ll make an exception in this case. For you to do: Be sure all books are listed together. You make the judgement calls. You do the asterisks. I’ll do the stats! :)

>127 paulstalder: matzen?!*. Haha! That’s a Hebrew word with a German plural ending. The Hebrew plural of matzo is matzot. The plural of challa is challot. Both are feminine nouns. That’s the end of your Hebrew lesson for today! :)

*Reminds me if the word Katzen :D

>172 quondame: Would the word 'Leavening' be acceptable as a substitute for yeast?

>129 SqueakyChu: zeyer dank, Madeline. But what are challen in English?

>130 quondame: yes, even though, a leavening is used in non-eatable stuff, but yeast is a leavening

>128 SqueakyChu: Thank you; let's see how it goes.

Oh, work for me? Oh dear. Serves me right, I suppose. :0)

>131 paulstalder: In English, “challen” are challahs. I call them challot. One is called a challah. I guess one could also be called egg bread, but I’ve never heard anyone refer to a challah by that name. :)

>132 humouress: egg bread? That means we could make a challah in my challenge when adding 'egg' as ingredient? Great, good for someone who reads a book with 'egg' in the title but not on the cover :)

>134 paulstalder: You could indeed make a challah by adding an egg to your other bread ingredients! :D

My current read has a bird on the cover but with bo eggs in sight!

>131 paulstalder: Things like egg whites and baking soda/powder are called leavenings in my cookbooks as is yeast. And flat bread is bread, just not as good.

>55 Helenliz: - Do proper names in the title count (like for a biography)?

>137 neverstopreading: You may use any word in the title, including proper names (which I know are usually excluded in Scrabble, but if I'm in charge, then they are allowed here).

For all those who read Star Wars:


I was meeting the Star Wars stars here in Basel

>139 paulstalder:. That’s great!!

>139 paulstalder: Now there’s inspiration!

TIOLI Question of the Month:

Did you bail on any book this month? Did you think about bailing on any book so far this month? If so, what was the book, and why? What made you bail or kept you from bailing?

>142 SqueakyChu: I'm trying to slog through The Innocents mainly because it was an Early Reviewers book and I need to write a review. I'm not sure what is putting me off. It is number 3 or 4 in a series, but usually I'm OK with that.

>142 SqueakyChu: After my chest surgery in April, I vowed to "read what I like" in May and so this is one of the few months without even the remotest feeling of bailing.I rarely bail on cozy mysteries or sports books, my favorites.

>143 owlie13: I am so bad with Early Reviewers. Instead of finishing boring books, I tend to put in a bookmark in those books and hope to get back to them. I never do. I know that I don't have to finish Early Reviewer books in order to review them. However, I feel that I can't give them a fair review unless I finish them. I know that affects my chances of winning more ER books, but so be it.

>144 lindapanzo: Sounds like a good plan!

>142 SqueakyChu: I bailed on two books in five days! I stopped reading Oryx and Crake because the story didn't interest me. I had absolutely no interest in whatever happened to the characters or to the rakunk (a raccoon-skunk hybrid). I also bailed on Making Rounds with Oscar because, even though the subject was interesting, the writing was boring.

*sigh*

Off to look for another more interesting book...

>145 SqueakyChu: I've been getting books from Net Galley and First to Read lately but haven't even been asking for ER books anymore. I need to read my last two remaining ER books but I'm just not asking for them anymore. ER books sound good when I request them but they rarely live up to my hopes for them. I have no problems writing a review indicating that I couldn't get very far into the ER book and then explain why.

I'm determined NOT to bail on my current book. I've been reading Don bloody Quixote since the end of January and I AM going to finish it.

>142 SqueakyChu: It's been two years since I bailed on a book (Dark Magic) and the last one before that was 2007 (Shot in the Heart). Books made my list for a reason, and I'll give any of them a 100 pages of my time. If I get that far and can't finish it, I have been deeply offended by something in the story or very bad writing.

>142 SqueakyChu: I was just about to bail on Lilith when all the dreary iconic idiots died and a ronin on the run showed up. Then it became readable, if not worthwhile.

>142 SqueakyChu: I haven't bailed on anything this month, though I have no trouble doing so. I was quite disappointed with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Angel of Repose. I remember loving it when I read it years ago, and I think that was because of its setting in the western US. This time his treatment of women blasted out at me. He took a famous author and illustrator and made her haughty and controlling, then punished her by killing her child (which is not what happened in real life). That'll show those upstart ladies. Then he took a faithless wife, a really despicable sounding woman and indicates he might as well forgive her because women are just like that. So, had all this come at the beginning of the book rather than the ending, I would have bailed.

I've bailed out of an ER from 2008 so many times that I decided to take it on vacation with me this month and just get it done. Finally, Across many mountains is complete! Yeah, me!

I have just completed a sweep, some easy books, some hard, many I was going to read anyway.

Congrats, quondame!

I'm reading The Weight of Ink and it seemed like it wasn't going to be much fun because of the book's size (the paper copy is 567 pages; my ebook counts 800+ pages). But once I got into it and realize how freakishly good it is, the pages are flying by. So, I didn't bail, but I considered it. Also, I have a possible shared read riding on my finishing, and that makes me want to finish even more.

Karen O.

>154 klobrien2: Alas there are no available copies of The Weight of Ink in my three library systems, so it's a long shot for me to join that group read. I've got some other titles loaded on my Kindle for when I go on the 5 day war/camping trip in a week that will be shared reads if I get to them. I wanted to front load a lot of reading because it's about to get very busy with sewing and packing for the next few days.

>153 quondame: Congrats!

I often bail on books, because my theory is that life is too short to waste my time on a book that isn't working for me for whatever reason. This month I gave up on Black Lotus by Sil Lai Abrams a few chapters in because it was a lot more depressing childhood memoir than the title and description had led me to expect, and I just wasn't in the mood for it.

>153 quondame: Congratulations, Susan!

>153 quondame: Congratulations, Susan!

>153 quondame: congratulations.

With finishing my book for Challenge #4, I finished my sweep this month :-)
ETA: 5/27 finished my double sweep!

#1: Jannes - Toon Tellegen
#1: Wiplala - Annie M.G. Schmidt
#2: Gaan, ging, gegaan (Go, Went, Gone) - Jenny Erpenbeck
#2: Veronica Ganz - Marilyn Sachs
#3: De gedaanteverwisseling (Metamorphosis) - Franz Kafka
#3: Schaduwliefde (Between Shades of Gray) - Ruta Sepetys
#4: Het ga je goed, het ga je wel (Go well, stay well) - Toeckey Jones
#4: Ongezocht ongeluk (A sorrow beyond dreams) - Peter Handke
#5: De jungle (The Jungle) - Upton Sinclair
#5: Heerlijke nieuwe wereld - Günter Wallraff
#6: Aan de schitterende rand van de wereld (To the Bright Edge of the World) - Eowyn Ivey
#6: Motu-Iti, het meeuweneiland - Roberto Piumini,
#7: De zwarte stenen - Guus Kuijer
#7: Het lied van de honden (Dogsong) - Gary Paulsen
#8: De Cock en een dodelijk rendez-vous - A.C. Baantjer
#8: Op een ochtend was de khomre leeg - Hushang Moradi-Kermani
#9: Markus en Diana (Markus and Diana) - Klaus Hagerup
#9: Nancho van Bonaire - Diana Lebacs
#10: Ver van huis (Far From Home) - Ouida Sebestyen
#10: Komplot op volle zee by Henk van Kerkwijk
#11: De duivel draagt het licht (When the Devil Holds the Candle) - Karin Fossum
#11: Maak dat je wegkomt (Have Mercy on Us All) - Fred Vargas
#11: Markus en de meisjes (Markus and the girls) - Klaus Hagerup
#11: Sjlasjduivels op Monta - Hermann Q.A. Molenkamp
#12: Toen onze Daniel doodging (Isaac Campion) - Janni Howker
#12: The thruth about Mary Rose - Marilyn Sachs
#13: De wereld bij benadering (World More or Less) - Jean Rouaud
#13: Het huis in Niemandsland (Fly Away Home) - Christine Nöstlinger
#14: Jinx - Margaret Wild
#14: Hoe weet jij dat nou? - Dolf Verroen
#15: Bloem water gist zout passie - Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana
#15: Zwart water (Blackwater) - Kerstin Ekman
#16: Stormboy : een leven in de wildernis (Stormboy) - Colin Thiele
#16: Freakonomics : een tegendraadse econoom ontdekt de verborgen kant van bijna alles (Freakonomics) - Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
#17: Rooie, en andere verhalen over mij en mijn klas by Willem van Toorn
#17: Lola de beer - Trude de Jong
#17: De tranen knallen uit mijn kop - Guus Kuijer
#17: Een tijd voor empathie (The Age of Empathy) by Frans de Waal
#18: Pech (A Dangerous Game - Friedrich Dürrenmatt
#18: Siddhartha : een Indiese vertelling (Siddharta) - Hermann Hesse
#19: 1001 boeken die je gelezen moet hebben! (1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die) - Peter Boxall
#19: Boekenpest - Boudewijn Büch
#20: Wiplala weer - Annie M.G. Schmidt
#20: Rutgers reis - Willem Wilmink
#21: De wraak van de Sith (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) - Matthew Stover
#21: De moedige R2-D2 (R2-D2 the brave) - Ace Landers

>160 FAMeulstee: I'm not doing as well on my reading this month. Congrats on your sweep!

>161 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori. I am sorry, what keeps you from reading?

>162 FAMeulstee: I had a conference that took a week. I've also been sick. Then there is just other things in life that need to be done.

>162 FAMeulstee: Sometimes life just gets in the way... I hope you feel better soon!

>160 FAMeulstee: Congratulations!

>160 FAMeulstee: Congratulations!
>163 thornton37814: I hate when that happens.

>160 FAMeulstee: Wow, Anita! Congratulations once again!

>165 quondame: >166 Citizenjoyce: >167 SqueakyChu: Thanks Susan, Joyce and Madeline!

>154 klobrien2: - I am the possible shared read, but I am struggling with the style and I don't think I'll get it finished - so I am pleased you enjoyed it!

>154 klobrien2: >169 wandering_star: I have The Weight of Ink checked out, but the size and the upcoming camping trip may not give me time to complete it in May.

I can finally say I've finished Don Quixote! Hurrah >:-) Only listed it in the last 4 TIOLIs. At least I won't need to invent a challenge for it next month!

>171 Helenliz: Good going! I haven't more than looked at the copy we have, always re shelving it for later.

A chuckle and a round of applause to you, >148 Helenliz: : and >171 Helenliz: .

>171 Helenliz:. Congratulations. I tried read it years ago and gave up with little intention of trying again

>171 Helenliz: Congratulations on finishing Don Quixote!
Did you like it? I loved it, it was one of the first classics I read back in 2009.

>172 quondame:, >173 countrylife:, >174 Citizenjoyce:, >175 FAMeulstee:: Thankyou all.
I think it just took me too long to really enjoy it. I mostly enjoyed each bit as I read it, but if I could have got through it in a few weeks, I suspect I would be feeling more positive about it. Instead, I just feel relieved that it's over and done with. Saving the review for a few days, to let it stew and have some proportion.

Congratulations to >153 quondame: and >160 FAMeulstee:. You are reading stars!

Also a very big congratuation to >171 Helenliz:, I doubt if I will ever be able to get through that one!

>176 Helenliz: I'll add my congratulations--you did it!

Did you read a book book? (as opposed to an ebook?) That's one of those big ones that I just couldn't read if I didn't have an electronic version. I loved the book, but it was an undertaking, that's for sure. And you did it! I admire your tenacity!

Karen O.

>177 DeltaQueen50:,>178 klobrien2: Thanks. I don't have an e-reader, luddite that I am. I lugged around a book of 780 odd pages for 4 months. At times the size of it was seriously dispiriting.

I'm reviewing the books I've read so far and I had to laugh when I realized that although I don't have any that fit owlie13's challenge, I have a trio of books whose authors' names could be as describers of people:
Nero Wolfe
Ellery Queen
Anthony Trollope

I'll keep looking for body parts in the meantime!

>180 rosalita: Funny! Ooh, and I think you might have a good challenge there for next month!

Karen O.

>181 klobrien2: Feel free to steal it — I've never created a challenge, just participated in all the madness the rest of you come up with. :-)

Finished my second sweep today, at >160 FAMeulstee: the TIOLI books I read this month.

>183 FAMeulstee:

*faints*
*revives*
*offers sincere congratulations*

Way to go, Anita!!!!!

>183 FAMeulstee:. Wahoo!

>183 FAMeulstee: Way to go, Anita!

>184 SqueakyChu: >185 Citizenjoyce: >186 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Madeline, Joyce and Judy!
*where is that fainting couch when it is needed...*

Unfortunately, I was in the hospital for a week and haven't felt like reading. Ergo, no sweep this month and I messed up my annual sweep goal. I'm pretty disappointed.

:(

>188 Morphidae: Sorry that being in the hospital messed up your reading plans, Morphy.

>188 Morphidae: I hope all is well with you now.

>188 Morphidae: Aww, Morphy! We just want you to be healthy. You can always try for a sweep next month....and the one after that...and the one after that! You can try for the year after this one...and the year after that one. In other words, stay well!

>188 Morphidae: Aw no, Morphy. Stay well. There'll be time for other sweeps.

I know about hospital stays getting in the way of reading and sweeps, though. After 6 weeks off (and about 17 or 18 books read), I'm back to work on Thursday!! I drove for the first time today since mid-April and am starting to get back into the routine.

>192 lindapanzo: Glad things are starting to go your way, Linda. Stay well, too!!

>193 SqueakyChu: Thanks, Madeline. I sure hope so. The last 6 months or so have been very trying.

>192 lindapanzo: Good news! Well, not so much about going back to work, but it's great that you're healed enough to do so.

TIOLI Stats for April, 2018

Im April 2018, we collectively had 17 (lowest monthly # of this year) challenges and read 392 (lowest monthly # of this year) books of which 58 (lowest monthly # of this year) or 15% (lowest monthly # of this year) were shared reads. We accumulated 44 (lowest monthly # of this year) TIOLI points for an April YTD total of 167 points (better than last year's April YTD).

The two most popular books, each read by four people, were:
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
and
The Keep by Jennifer Egan

The most popular challenge, with 40 books read, was that of @lindapanzo to read a book whose LT average rating is more than 4.0.

The challenges with the most TIOLI points each had three points. There were six of them so I'm not pulling htem out for mention here at this time.

TIOLI Awards will come at a later date. Look for them!

>153 quondame: Congratulations on your sweep, Susan!
>183 FAMeulstee: And double congratulations to you, Anita!!
>171 Helenliz: Woohoo! Congratulations on finishing Don Quixote! Great job!
>188 Morphidae: I hope you’re feeling better, Morphy. The books and sweeps will wait!
>192 lindapanzo: I hope you’ve enjoyed all your reading time and that the return to work goes smoothly, Linda.
>196 SqueakyChu: Oh dear - April was not a good TIOLI month, was it? I hope we’re doing better in May…...

Question of the Month:
Space Opera, which just came out, but the comic work of science fiction just wasn’t for me. I also had high hope for The Poppy War, but while I read about a quarter of it, I couldn’t keep going - too grim. And speaking of grim, I gave up on The Last Days of the Incas. I know a fair amount about the subject already and it was well done, but I found it depressing. It didn’t help that I was primarily listening to the audio version in my car and didn’t much care for the reader.

>197 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah, and congratulations on your sweep!

>198 FAMeulstee: You're welcome, Anita - and thank you!

Finished a sweep last night with a day to spare. I had some great reads this month. The last two shared reads were surprising delights, To The Bright Edge of the World and Between Shades of Gray. Where would I be without recommendations from this group?

>200 Citizenjoyce: Congratulations!

>200 Citizenjoyce: Cogratulations, Joyce!
I have read and enjoyed both those books this month :-)

>201 quondame: >202 FAMeulstee: thanks

>200 Citizenjoyce: Excellent! Congrats on your sweep!

TIOLI Awards for April, 2018:

The Stop That Repetition Award goes to @lyzard for reading Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories They Wouldn't Let Me Do On TV for my (SqueakyChu's) challenge to read a book with at least three pages starting with the same word, but NOT the word “the”. This challenger found seventeen (!) pages starting with the word "I". Whew!

The You've Got That Right Award goes to @lindapanzo for reading Summer Rain for DeltaQueen's challenge to read a book where something you could find in the sky is part of the title. As I sit here typing these words, I'm listening to thunder...and the pattering sound of...rain. I guess I'm being intuitively instructed to give this award by the sounds around me! :O

The I'll Have a Bit of That, Too, Please Award goes to @bostonian71 for reading Midnight Snack and Other Fairy Tales for susanna.fraser's challenge to read a book whose title references a physical action a human can perform. I'll perform snacking for you any time you want...or even more often!

The Double Take Award goes to @FAMeulstee for the challenge to read a book by an author where the second letter of the first name is the same as the second letter of the last name. It's always these challenges that I have to read twice that get me. I want to make sure I don't mess up. Plus it makes me read more carefully. Brilliant!

The Ribbet Ribbet Award goes to @neverstopreading, @gabriel243, and @Citizenjoyce for reading There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog for Carmenere's challenge to read a book which contains a word in the title that can be found in a garden. Hey! This is TIOLI! We LOVE frogs here!!! :D

Congrats on your awards! Feel free to add awards for others at this time if you so choose.

Housekeeping Day!

Please remove from the wiki all books not finished by midnight tonight...with the exception of any rolling challenges which you can just add DNF (did not finish). Thanks so much!

>205 SqueakyChu:

Whoo! Thank you, Madeline; and thank you to all the first-person authors who made it possible! :D

>206 SqueakyChu: In the spirit of "beg forgiveness rather than ask permission" I snuck two books in today...including one on my own challenge (#17 & 18)

I probably could have added more, and will if you let me.

My excuse (marked as a spoiler, in case you don't care ;-) )

Was working for two weeks straight and forgot about logging on.

>205 SqueakyChu: Sorry, I was sure I already thanked you for the award, Madeline, guess I only thought about responding.
So hereby I do thank you ;-) Always good to read carefully with TIOLI challenges!

>208 neverstopreading: If you're talking about books you finished in May, go ahead and add them. I'll hold off doing the stats until you finish putting them all in. Let me know when you're done. No problem at all.

>210 SqueakyChu: Done. Thank you for your patience :)

>211 neverstopreading: As I said, "No problem!"