Take It or Leave It Challenge - February 2019 - 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.


...logo by cyderry

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Your challenge for February 2019 is to...

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Read a book whose title appropriately captions this picture. :D



NOTE: This hamster picture was taken a while ago (I don’t have the exact date) by “JesseBarker”. It was licensed for non-commercial use by Flickr.com (Creative Commons). Thank you for sharing this picture with us!

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

1. The February 2019 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.
3. @FAMeulstee's 2109 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter - Use this page if you want to complete a sweeplette (all of the challenges on only one wiki page).

Wiki Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book whose title appropriately captions the posted hamster picture - msg #1
2. Read a book which has the word "library" or "lover" somewhere within the first 5 chapters - msg #5
3. Read a book by an author who has written both fiction and nonfiction books - msg #6
4. Read A Book That Was Published At Least 10 Years Ago - msg #8
5. Read a turn-of-the-century book - msg #13
6. Read a book whose title includes at least two 4+ letter words starting with the same letter - msg #16

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book with a four word title - msg #19
8. Read a book about news reporting - msg #24
9. Read a book where the chapters have titles - msg #25
10. Read a book whose title makes you break into song - msg #26
11. Read a book whose cover has an image relating to the sea - msg #28
12. Read a book where the title refers to a woman - msg #32

Challenges #13-17
13. Read a book about a bad mother - msg #28
14. Read a book that begins with a one-sentence paragraph - msg #42
15. Read a book for the Marvel comic character alphabetical rolling challenge - msg #46
16. Read a work by an author you read in 2018 - msg #48
17. Read a book which was listed by the same challenger who started any of the previous February TIOLI challenges - msg #50
18. Read a book featuring clothing - msg #64

Please hold your challenge until the March 2019 challenges are posted. Thanks!

I know I posted this thread early. I couldn't wait to post this cute picture! :D

>1 SqueakyChu: Oh my gosh! What an adorable little rascal!

February is National Library Lover's Month so......

Challenge #2: Read a book which has the word "library" or "lover" somewhere within the first 5 chapters

Challenge #3: Read a book by an author who has written both fiction and nonfiction books

You don't need to have read the other book, but the author must have written both types of books. Many fiction authors have written memoirs - like Pat Conroy, Wayson Choi, Joan Didion, Maggie O'Farrell, Elizabeth Gilbert, or Orhan Pamuk.

I read The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea, and his latest book, The House of Broken Angels is in the Tournament of Books, so that's my choice.

By the way, feel free to use this "caption this picture" meme in future challenges you offer. It has such fun possibilities!

Challenge #4: Read a Book That Was Published At Least 10 Years Ago

I have a number of older books in my stacks and I am trying to read from my own shelves as much as possible this year.

With this challenge I know that at least Liz will mostly likely join me! ;)

LOL! I love that picture you used, Madeline, what an excellent idea for the challenge. Now I am off to search my shelves for a title to fit.

>9 DeltaQueen50: That pictured hamster looks just like the original SqueakyChu. Here is what my SqueakyChu looked like. She was a cream-colored Syrian hamster.



:D

>8 DeltaQueen50: You just took a whole bunch of (self-imposed) pressure off me. I am reading Madame Bovary this month, fitting it in the challenge of translated from French and was hoping to finish it. But if I know that I wait until February to finish it, I will share the read with you, then that would be for the greater good of TIOLI world.

>10 SqueakyChu: So cute, and this is an excellent way to remember her.

>11 raidergirl3: I'll be glad of the company. I've been reading Madame Bovary by installments over the last few months and will be glad to finally finish it!

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Challenge #5: Read a turn-of-the-century book

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For this challenge, you may read any book originally published within five years either side of the turn of any century---so from 1995 - 2005, 1895 - 1905, 1795 - 1805, etc.

You must use the original publication date (not edition); please list your date on the wiki.

>1 SqueakyChu:, >10 SqueakyChu:

I wish you'd done that while I was reading Hickory Dickory Dock! :D

Hmm...I notice you haven't given any example books this month??

>8 DeltaQueen50:

Join you? You won't be able to get rid of me!

>14 lyzard: I purposely didn’t give examples. I wanted to see the creativity of our challengers! :)

Challenge # 6: Read a book whose title includes at least two 4+ letter words starting with the same letter

This should be self explanatory. A key point is that the title words starting with the same letter must be at least four letters long. So that: So Springy would not count but Spring and Summer would.

>15 SqueakyChu:

:D

My choice actually suits your second photo a bit better, I think, but I'll give it a try...

>16 lindapanzo: Ooooo, that sounds tough!

>18 Carmenere: The words can be in the subtitle if need be.

>20 lindapanzo: >18 Carmenere: Thanks, I'm good! I just freaked out for a sec cause I'm, once again, attempting a sweeplette.

>21 Carmenere: Hoping to join you in that first page sweeplette, Lynda.

>22 DeltaQueen50: Great Judy! I'm in good company!

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Challenge #8: Read a Book About News Reporting
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I read The Perfectionists last month, and when I stumbled upon The Imperfectionists, I thought it would be fun to fit it in the same month. Alas, it had no place to land. So I'm finishing it up this month and had to make a challenge for it.

Read a book about news reporting, (ETA) or featuring a reporter, (either fiction or nonfiction). Please state the media your book is about.

The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman (newspaper)

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Challenge #9: Read a book where the chapters have titles
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These need to be more than just the chapter numbers - actual words, giving a title to the chapter. In your entry, please list the title of the first chapter.

Challenge #10: Read a book whose title makes you break into song. (Please list the song)

Note that the book's title shouldn't BE a song title--it can be a riff on a song title, or just have some connection to the lyrics or subject of a song.

Challenge #11: Read a book whose cover has an image relating to the sea

Self-explanatory (I hope!)

>27 wandering_star: Oooh! Post your covers. Would you make a thread for this, @wandering_star?

>24 countrylife:

Completely about news reporting, not just featuring a reporter?

>29 lyzard: : featuring a reporter is fine. I'm not too picky on this one.

ETA: Updated my post to reflect so.

>30 countrylife:

Great, thanks!

Challenge #12: Read a book where the title refers to a woman

The title should include reference to a woman. This can be by name, Belinda, or by reference to her position in life, The Italian Wife or her job, Asterix and the Actress.

If using a descrition, it must be one that denotes a woman. So a book called "The Carpenter" and featuring a female carpenter would not fit, as carpenter is not specific to a woman. ( I couldn't think of an actual example, so I'm hoping you get the idea)

>28 SqueakyChu: Here you are! http://www.librarything.com/topic/303087

>33 wandering_star: Nice! Thanks so much!

Madeline, the first link in post 1 has not yet been updated with February's links. Can you magic that better please?

>35 Helenliz: Fixed. Thanks!

>36 SqueakyChu: thanks!

Oh dear, very late to the game. Way down to
Challenge #13: Read a book about a bad mother
I just started tagging books with this, alas there are many. I’ll be rereading Sing, Unburied, Sing for my RL book club reluctantly because this is one bad mother.
Other possibilities, though I have to admit, I don’t remember the mother in all of these:
The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg
The Misfortune of Marion Palm: A novel by Emily Culliton
Lost & Found by Brooke Davis
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (which I wouldn’t wish on anyone)
My Story by Elizabeth Smart (as it relates to her captor, not real, mother
Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (I have this listed, but, you decide)
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I got so involved in reading “best of 2018” books in January, I’m trying to find a place for leftovers this month and doing pretty well.

Challenge #1: Read a book whose title appropriately captions the posted hamster picture - started by SqueakyChu
✔What Should Be Wild: A Novel by Julia Fine (3)
Challenge #2: Read a book which has the word "library" or "lover" somewhere within the first 5 chapters - started by Carmenere
*✔The Italian Teacher- Tom Rachman (4)
*✔The Library Book - Susan Orlean (5)
✔The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - RL Book Club (5)
*✔The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang (3.5)
Challenge #3: Read a book by an author who has written both fiction and nonfiction books - started by raidergirl3
✔The Feral Detective: A Novel - Jonathan Lethem
(3.5)
*✔The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant - Douglass Wallop (4.5)
Challenge #4: Read A Book That Was Published At Least 10 Years Ago - Started by DeltaQueen
Challenge #5: Read a turn-of-the-century book - Started by lyzard
Challenge #6: Read a book whose title includes at least two 4+ letter words starting with the same letter - Started by lindapanzo
*✔Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence - James R. Clapper (3.5)
✔Neurological Study on the Effects of Canine Appeal on Psychopathy, or, RIO ADOPTS A PUPPY: A Cas Russell Short Story - SL Huang (3.5)
Challenge #7: Read a book with a four word title - started by FAMeulstee
✔The Truths We Hold: An American Journey - Kamala Harris (4)
Challenge #8: Read a book about news reporting. (Please state which media type.) - started by countrylife
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now - Alan Rusbridger
Challenge #9: Read a book where the chapters have titles. (Please give the title of the first chapter.) - started by owlie13
✔Florida - Lauren Groff (3.5)
The Golden State - Lydia Kiesling
Challenge #10: Read a book whose title makes you break into song. (Please list the song) - started by susanna.fraser
✔Confessions of the Fox: A Novel - Jordy Rosenberg (4)
✔Mem - Bethany C. Morrow
Challenge #11: Read a book whose cover has an image relating to the sea - started by wandering_star
✔Goodnight, Beautiful Women - Anna Noyes (3.5)
Challenge #12: Read a book where the title refers to a woman - started by Helenliz
✔The Good Daughter - Karin Slaughter (4)
The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers - Elizabeth Cobbs
The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories - Denis Johnson
✔The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker (4)
Challenge #13: Read a book about a bad mother- started by Citizenjoyce
✔There'll Be Blue Skies - Ellie Dean (3.5)
✔Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (4)
Challenge #14: Read a book that begins with a one-sentence paragraph - started by JeanneD
Challenge #15: Read a book for the Marvel comic character alphabetical rolling challenge - started by Morphidae
Challenge #16: Read a work by an author you read in 2018 - started by Dejah_Thoris
✔An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris (3.5)
Challenge #17: Read a book which was listed by the same challenger who started any of the previous February TIOLI challenges - started by paulstalder
*✔Sworn to Silence - Linda Castillo (3.5)
Challenge #18: Read a book featuring clothing - started by quondame
✔The Hundred Dresses - Eleanor Estes (5)

>38 Citizenjoyce: - I don't know for sure whether this will fit, but from the title I think it's worth a go: There Once Lived a Mother Who Loved Her Children, Until They Moved Back In

>38 Citizenjoyce: Mothers don't get much worse than in Sharp Objects. If I hadn't read it this month, I'd choose that for your challenge.

>41 owlie13: I saw the mini series and didn’t much like it though Patricia Clarkson was great and the mother she played, well, even worse than Sing, Unburied Sing. Is the book a great deal better?
>40 wandering_star: Hmm, sounds like a normal mother to me, but you decide.

>43 Citizenjoyce: Didn't see the mini series, so can't judge. Gillian Flynn doesn't pull any punches, and it's not an easy book to read but I'm glad I did. (I also loved Gone Girl.)

>44 owlie13: I also loved Gone Girl, but I loved the movie too. Hmm. Well, I’ve requested it from the library, we’ll see how it goes.

Challenge #15: Read a book for the Marvel comic character alphabetical rolling challenge

Using the list below, read a book where the title uses a Marvel comic character's name (or part of - explained further below) in alphabetical order of the character's name. INCLUDE the comic character's name in your entry.

You can use part of a character's name IF is a separate part of the name. For instance, for Iron Man, you can use "Iron" or "Man" but for Iceman, you must use "Iceman."

If you use "Man," from Iron Man, it should be placed in the "I" position for Iron Man, *NOT* for the "M" in "Man."

You can use the parts of hyphenated names separately like I have. My book is Air Awakens by Elise Kova for Air-Walker.

Last example: You can use "cat" in "B" for Black Cat but not "S" for Shadowcat.

ETA: You cannot use articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, or, yet), or prepositions (of, after, with.)

ETA: The word used does not have to be the first word (The Illustrated Man is fine) but it cannot be embedded (The Man in the High Castle is fine, Mansfield Park is not.)

You can skip *ONE* letter. There must be at least *ONE* book by a different LTer before a person can enter another book, i.e. no back-to-back entries.

There is no restriction on content other than it must be a book with words.

https://www.marvel.com/comics/characters

ETA: Working on Google spreadsheet with acceptable words to make things easier. Currently has G - J, L - N.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IS-4coGfBvKaI75D_Y3udwjrkZUVirAKLy6R2iuw...

>46 Morphidae: Wow! So many characters!!

it must be a book with words. :D

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Challenge #16: Read a work by an author you read in 2018.
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I think it’s pretty self explanatory. Shared reads are, of course, very welcome!

I had a few books I wasn’t finding a spot for, so this should help me out.

>47 SqueakyChu: I know! I was wondering if it was going to be a problem so I was going to do a Marvel/DC comic challenge but there were plenty of Marvel characters.

Challenge #17: Read a book which was listed by the same challenger who started any of the previous February TIOLI challenges

February is a special month for doing special things, so I challenge you to look back to other TIOLI challenges made in the past years. Not to read just any book listed there. I want you to read that book which the fabricator of the challenge read.
- check out any February challenge (list below)
- look who the challenger is and read that book which was listed by the appropriate challenger (if there are several books listed, fine, you may chose any book listed by the challenger; if the challenger didn't list any books in his/her own challenger - too bad, that challenge is not valid for my challenge)
- read the book in your own language (if the book is translated, that is)
- no re-reads for those who started the challenge or those who did a shared read then

Example:
Challenge #3: Read a book with a school subject in the title (FYI: Bold the subject) - started by raidergirl3
Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins - humouress - COMPLETED
Art of the Byzantine Era - David Talbot Rice - calm - COMPLETED
Calculus Diaries - Jennifer Oullette - raidergirl3 - COMPLETED
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The History of Love - Nicole Krauss - raidergirl3 - COMPLETED
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Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin - raidergirl3 - COMPLETED
A Short History of England - Simon Jenkins - PaulCranswick - COMPLETED
*A Short History of Tractors in Ukraine - Marina Lewycka - raidergirl3 - COMPLETED
*A Short History of Tractors in Ukraine - Marina Lewycka - countrylife - COMPLETED (3.2)
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so, in this challenge by raidergirl3 are four books listed by raidergirl3 -> read any of them
raidergirl3 cannot take part in my challenge with any of the books listed here
countrylife cannot chose to read the book by Marina Lewycka, since she had a shared read back then

all clear or worse? Madeline helped me with the links, thank you so much, even though you called my challenge (or me?) weird - well, I partly agree

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2010

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2011-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2011-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2011-3

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2012-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2012-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2012-3

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2013-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2013-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2013-3
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2013-4
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2013-5

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2014-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2014-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2014-3
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2014-4

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2015-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2015-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2015-3
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2015-4

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2016-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2016-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2016-3
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2016-4

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2017-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2017-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2017-3
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2017-4

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2018-1
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2018-2
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2018-3
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_February... February 2018-4

I've made edits to >46 Morphidae: and they are marked.

>50 paulstalder: You know I meant "weird" in a good way. I love unusual challenges!

>52 SqueakyChu: 😄 me too

>2 SqueakyChu: You skipped Challenge #16 up there, Madeline, and listed #17 as #16.

>50 paulstalder: : Enjoyed going back through those old February challenges. Found it interesting how often the challenger didn't end up completing a book for their own challenge. Ha! It's not just me!

>54 FAMeulstee: Fixed. Thanks!

>55 countrylife: That's exactly what I told Paul when he inquired about this challenge! Ha!

I was surprised how many Feb challenges were to read a book from a previous Feb challenge. It makes Paul’s challenge a cool blend of all those Feb challenges.

I think that was the first challenge I ever posted. It was a big step to join in that way. Also, there is a 5th book I read for that challenge, an sweet YA book, The Statistical Probability of Love. Lots of choices.

Shout out to all the hosts who read several books for their challenges.

>1 SqueakyChu: >10 SqueakyChu: That's such a fun idea for a challenge. And I didn't know there was an original SqueakyChu! What a sweet face.

>55 countrylife: >57 SqueakyChu: Yes, that's interesting. That happened to me once, too, and I felt so uneasy about deleting that entry in my own challenge. I had just underestimated the time I use for other things than reading :)

>58 raidergirl3: It't not the first challenge of 'looking back' I did. It is fascinating to see what kind of challenges we already survived :), the 'four-letter-corner-challenge', the beer challenge etc.....
I didn't see your fifth book there, sorry for that. I guess there were just too many things I had to look at, weird....

>1 SqueakyChu: >59 madhatter22: That's a nice challenge ... my first thought was about our cat being grapped like that getting an injection by the vet ...

>60 paulstalder: It's interesting the guilt we feel deleting an entry from our own challenges. Then I remember the "No guilt!" rule of TIOLI, and I'm fine. :)

Yeah. You do wonder what those animals must be thinking!

>46 Morphidae: I'm kind of surprised my challenge hasn't taken off because it's relatively easy. Maybe people are thinking the titles have to have full Marvel character names?

For the next entry (E or F), any of the following words in the title would be acceptable:

Bloodstone, Brock, Castle, Cobra, Cortez, Doom, Dutchman, Earthquake, Echo, Eddie, Edward, Edwin, Ego, Electro, Elektra, Elements, Elite, Elixir, Elloe, Elsa, Emma, Empath, Emplate, Enchantress, Ender, Energizer, Epoch, Erik, Eternals, Eternity, Excalibur, Exiles, Exodus, Expediter, Ezekiel, Fabian , Falcon, Fallen, Famine, Fang, Fantastic, Fantastick, Fantomex, Fat, Felicia, Fenris, Feral, Fin, Firebird, Firebrand, Firedrake, Firelord, Firestar, Fixer, Flatman, Flying, Foggy, Foom, Force, Forearm, Forge, Forgotten, Forrester, Four, Frank, Frankenstein's, Franklin, Freak, Frightful, Frog, Frog-Man, Frost, Hardy, Jarvis, Kaifi, Lau, Monster, Nelson, One, Red, Richards, Stane, Storm, Ted, Thor, Wiggin, Works

>62 Morphidae: thanks for the help!

Challenge #18: Read a book featuring clothing

A non fiction clothing, clothing designer, costume, or fiction in which an item of clothing or outfit, or wardrobe (not the passage to Narnia kind) features. Powder and Patch, The Robe are examples as would be The Prince and the Dressmaker.

I've added a link on >46 Morphidae: to a Google spreadsheet that I'm working on that will have acceptable words for each letter. Currently has G & H.

>46 Morphidae: I've currently got Venus Plus X sitting in my challenge (#14). I'm wondering if I could use this for Josiah X or Professor X, or if I would have to wait for Venus.

>66 jeanned: No need to wait. You can use "X" from Generation X.

Added more clarification to >46 Morphidae:.

"The word used does not have to be the first word (The Illustrated Man is fine) but it cannot be embedded (The Man in the High Castle is fine, Mansfield Park is not.)"

>67 Morphidae: Very cool. Thank you. I thought I had to wait for the name of a character.

>68 Morphidae: Nope, -any- separate part of a character name is fine except things like "a", "and," or "of". It's only the character name itself that has to start with a particular letter. Not the word you chose. Nor the title.

>46 Morphidae: Morphy, I'm hoping to add Yellow Jack: How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets, but I'm waiting for the J spot - I need someone to post and H or I!

>50 paulstalder: Paul, I know your rules state no rereads for the original poster, but I was wondering if, now that it's been added by two readers, I could join in with a shared read of Sworn to Silence? I read it 7 years ago, but didn't get very far with the series and had already decided to give it another shot. If you'd rather I didn't, it's not a problem - I can put it else where. I just want the shared read. :)

>71 Dejah_Thoris: I see your point and do accept the shared read, IF one of the others really list the book as completed, if the others do no read the book and you would be the only one listing that book, it would not count. But I guess that Citizenjoyce and Ameise1 will read it :), so go ahead with it

>71 Dejah_Thoris: I’ll read it.

>71 Dejah_Thoris: I don't think I've ever seen such a relatively easy alpha rolling challenge to be quite this unpopular. I'm bamboozled.

TIOLI stats for January 2019:

For January, 2019, we read a total of 430 books for 18 challenges. Of those, 92 (21%) werre shared reads. We collected 49 (also YTD) TIOLI points for this month. The stats are holding steady.

The most popular books, each read by 6 challengers, were these:
Nerve by Dick Francis
All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The most popular challenge, with 57 books read, was the one by DeltaQueen to read a book where the author has a set of double letters in their name.

The challenge with the most TIOLI points, with 10 of them, was Ameise1's challenge to read the first book of a series/trilogy or saga.

The January 2019 TIOLI Awards!

The Vocabulary Builder Award goes to @Morphidae for reading A Morbid Taste for Bones and finding the word "arere" in the title words and to @DeltaQueen50 for reading When the Rainbow Goddess Wept where the word "whist" was discovered in the title words. Don't know what they mean? Look them up and build up your vocabulary! Both of these books were read for my (SqueakyChu's) challenge to read a book where you take one letter from each word in the title to make a new word.

The Shrinking Font Award goes to @lyzard for reading The Mother-In-Law; or, The Isle Of Rays for neverstopreading's challenge to read that nagging book. The book nagged because of tiny font on a blog. So did the font ever increase in size?!

The Sweetness Award goes to @souloftherose for reading Paper Girls: Volume 5 for owlie13's challenge to read a book that contains (or is about) a first. This book was about a first kiss. Awwwww!

The Gamer's Award goes to dreamweaver529 for reading War Cry for Carmenere's challenge to read a book where a word (or words) in the title is the name of a game. War, the card game, was the last game I taught my grandson that he actually learned how to play from my instructions.

The Artistic Eye Award goes to @paulstalder for the challenge to read a book that has something 'slashy' on the cover. What a fun idea for a challenge! It helps make us look at book covers with a more critical eye.

Congrats to our award winners! Feel free at this time to add awards of your own.

>76 SqueakyChu:

Whoo-hoo!! Thanks, Madeline. :)

I found a different online copy, with slightly-bigger-than-miniscule font, and was able to get it read (and, just as importantly, get it blogged!).

>71 Dejah_Thoris: I just added an "I", so you're good to go.

>5 Carmenere: Would "lovers" (or "lover's") work, or is it strictly "lover"?

>76 SqueakyChu: Ha!

>72 paulstalder: >73 Citizenjoyce: My thanks to you both! I just added it and marked it completed.

>74 Morphidae: It is odd, Morphy. Perhaps it's just that it's a higher numbered Challenge? I've noticed that the later posted challenges often do not have as many books read....

>75 SqueakyChu: It's good to hear the stats are steady!

>76 SqueakyChu: Congratulations to all the winners!

>78 madhatter22: Thank you so much - I've just added my book. K or L is up next.

>74 Morphidae: It looks like it requires way too much effort to me. This year I'm I'm not investing effort in challenges, only in reading books I want to read. If it makes you feel any better, check out my challenge. No one but myself is reading a book for it. I understand. If I didn't have to read the book for my RL book club, I wouldn't knowingly read another book about a bad mother either.

>76 SqueakyChu: Thank you for the award :-)

>76 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award, Madeline. I liked the word 'slashy', it has a special ring in my ears ...

>46 Morphidae: I want to put a title in your challenge, but the only books I have that could fit are ones where the character's names are at the end of the alphabet, so I have to hold back a bit.

>82 Citizenjoyce: I really looked for something for yours but still don't want to read anything that will unduly depress/upset me these days.

>81 Dejah_Thoris: I think you're right about the later challenges. When the following month's TIOLI is first posted, I try to fill something in for everything. Whether I actually read them all is a whole nother issue, of course. After a time, RL seems to interfere.

As Joyce said, I find I'm trying to spend more time on reading than on looking to fill in challenges. I do like to go back occasionally to see if someone has put in something I'd like and, if I spot something, I'll jump in. For instance, I recall telling you awhile back that I'd like to read an occasional play and so, when I saw you add Brighton Beach Memoir, I reserved it at the library.

>82 Citizenjoyce: I've got a book for every challenge including yours (Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson). I plan on getting them entered soon. I just haven't gotten a round TUIT yet.

>76 SqueakyChu: Thank you, Madeline for the award - for a reader, a Vocabulary Builder Award is particularly sweet!

I would like to award Paul Stalder the “Beyond the Call of Duty” Award for my January Challenge #18: Author Has At Least One Set of Double Letters in Their Name. Many of us listed authors with two sets of double letters, but Paul was the only one to find an author – Annette Wassermann – that had 4 sets of double letters in her name.

>74 Morphidae: I too, have a book I would like to add to your Challenge, Morphy, but it comes later in the alphabet, so I am hoping it stretches that far!

>88 DeltaQueen50: Congrats, Paul. That makes two awards for you for January!

>87 Morphidae: Thanks. It looks like klobrien2 will be joining me too so I won't be languishing on 13 all by myself.
>86 lindapanzo: I understand. Books about bad mothers aren't happy. There may be some comedies, but offhand I can't think of any.

>90 Citizenjoyce: I'm going to include Six Moon Dance. Not only does it have bad mothers and mothers who are bad, it uses the term mis-mothering.

>88 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. Your challenge intrigued me to look around for such an author.

>89 SqueakyChu: :)

>82 Citizenjoyce: if your challenge said bad parent, I might have moved The Italian Teacher. The dad was terrible.

>91 quondame: White Oleander should be a good candidate, and if I hadn't read it already, well, it's a good, even an important book, but once was enough.

>90 Citizenjoyce: Yes, Citizenjoyce, I thought you might be lonely on the "bad mother" challenge!

The book I am reading, Rich People Problems, is the third book in the "Crazy Rich Asians" trilogy. There are many bad mothers and fathers, but also many good ones, too. The thing is, everything in these books is magnified, so the "badness" is really horrible. The books are generally very funny, however, and goodness wins out in the end.

Karen O.

>38 Citizenjoyce: Some other books I have read recently that have bad mothers: the previously mentioned Sharp Objects; Mr. Mercedes, although I have this in Challenge #3 at present in case I can get a Page 1 sweeplette; The Crimson Petal and the White.

>38 Citizenjoyce: I almost re-read Carrie by Stephen King.

I tried to pick lists with the least amount of overlap.

The 16 Worst Mothers in Books
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/worst-moms-in-books

The 10 Best Bad Mums in Literature
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10725512/The-10-best-bad-mums-in-liter...

11 Scariest Mothers in Books
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/koren-zailckas/12-scariest-mothers-in-bo_b_394334...

8 of the Worst Moms in Literature
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/12/books/worst-mothers-day.html

I have trouble with the idea of "a bad mother" - I've finished two books so far this month and both say a lot about motherhood and parenting. I don't think that one of the central characters in Unsheltered is a bad mother although she worries a lot about the impact of decisions made on her children, and the other major character has a very bad relationship with his mother in law. Saints for All Occasions is about family difficulties and secrets, but while I don't find one of the main mother characters entirely sympathetic, I think calling her a bad mother would be simplistic and unfair.

Does the mother have to be a central character or can it be focusd on a poorly mothered daughter?

Missing my mum, who was a good mother, thinking about this.

>46 Morphidae: I've added acceptable words to the Google spreadsheet for Marvel characters starting with L, M, and N.

>98 elkiedee: I also have a problem with the idea of a bad mother. I didn't notice it the first time I read it, but Jesmyn Ward dedicated Sing, Unburied, Sing to her own beloved mother. In the book, Leoni's mother says she lacks the mothering gene. She's not just a bad mother, she is completely without empathy except for her boyfriend. I think most of us do the best we can with our kids, but to totally ignore their needs while fulfilling your own, to delight in harming them and feel resentful of the aid and comfort they get from others - that, to me, is a bad mother. The father is also bad, but he didn't have much influence over the kids.
>95 klobrien2: I read the second in the series China Rich Girlfriend and vowed I wouldn't read any more of his rich people books. I was very happy to be away from those people. I tried reading Rich People Problems because the movie came out, but, nope, can't do it.
>91 quondame: mis-mothering. What a term.
>97 Morphidae: Thank you so much for all of these. Off to check them for humor.
>96 jeanned: I loved The Crimson Petal and the White but the bad mother has not stuck in my memory.
>93 raidergirl3: I would say maybe I'll do bad father some other time, but I'm pretty sick of bad parents right now. Though I have joined you in The Italian Teacher read. I hope I won't hate it.
>91 quondame: I love, love Tepper.
>94 quondame: Ugh, White Oleander! I need to find some humorous bad mothers.
>98 elkiedee: to answer your question, the mother doesn't have to be the main character, but she does have to be bad not just annoying.

>100 Citizenjoyce: OK, thanks! Have just finished Milkman by Anna Burns, last year's Booker winner. Now pondering whether to put it in the "bad mother" challenge, because I do think the main character's mother is quite appalling, and there are examples throughout the novel. Has anyone else read it to have a view? The UK paperback cover also shows the sea, but I am reading and am fairly confident of finishing another sea on cover book (also featuring bad mothers but the main character's mother doesn't have a big part in the present of the novel, and the main character's role as a (not good) mother is also not central to the story line. I may start another book focusing on the daughter of a bad mother next!

>100 Citizenjoyce: Matilda by Roald Dahl?

>101 elkiedee:. Too many bad mothers. What are they telling us?
>102 Morphidae: maybe that’s the only one. I haven’t read it simply because the parents are so bad. Here’s my chance.

>46 Morphidae: I finally found a book that would fit but it has the word Golden (for whom, I don’t know, but it fits your spread sheet). However we’re way past the Gs, and I doubt we’ll get back. I have a Mrs. but not a Ms or Mr and a women, but not woman. I think it’s the rolling part of the challenge that it keeping the number of entries down.

>103 Citizenjoyce: I've read Matilda and they are funny/satiric/OTT bad.

>105 Morphidae: I’ve requested it from the library, probably won’t get here in time.

Yay, my library bought the audiobook The Year the Yankees Lost the Penant, and I’m looking for a place for it. I looked on Amazon, by the way. They have a used paperback copy for $199. I think I’ll stick with the library.
ETA it fits nicely in Challenge #3.

Checking in, very late!

(note to self: should I finish it this month, The Eye of the World is shared in Challenge 4)

:0) carry on ...

>107 Citizenjoyce: Of course, I'm always looking for a good baseball book and this is one of the most famous baseball novels, but I've never read it. I've got an ILL request in at the library so I should be able to join you.

>109 lindapanzo: does that mean you’re not going to buy the $199.00 paperback?

>26 susanna.fraser: I had a funny experience with your challenge. Not only did the book title of my chosen book make me want to burst into song, but I had an actual bursting-into song experience within this book itself. I was reading Scapegoat by Eli Amir in which the narrative talked about the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (the festival of first fruits) so I sang a Hebrew song that I knew about that holiday. A few lines below where I was reading, there was written the words to that song in English. I was so surprised! What serendipity!! I guess I picked the right book for your challenge! :D

>27 wandering_star: I want to have a shared read for your challenge, but my book does not have a sea image on the front of it. Does that disqualify my book?

>26 susanna.fraser: >111 SqueakyChu: Same thing here!!!! I've been singing Queen's 'Someone to Love' since I posted Find Me for the challenge. When I started reading the book and the story got to Route 66, well, let's just say I started getting my kicks. And then Mac the Knife made an entrance....oh the shark babe. Now my brain has got all these earworms on shuffle.

>113 jeanned: Haha! Now you have me singing “Mac the Knife”!!

>110 Citizenjoyce: Not even the new PB on Amazon for $19 though the used Abe Books offer for $4.56 was tempting.

>112 SqueakyChu: shared reads are fine!

>116 wandering_star: Hurray! Thanks!

I'm trying for a sweeplette this month...or did I just jinx myself?! :D

>111 SqueakyChu:, >113 jeanned:, >114 SqueakyChu: Thanks for all the talk about the song challenge. When I read Confessions of the Fox I knew the main character was Macheath from The Beggars Opera and the song Mac the Knife, but somehow the song challenge slipped my mind. This is not exactly the Macheath people are used to. The book is written by a transsexual (F-M) man about an intersex man who identifies as male researching a manuscript about an intersex man who identifies as male. That last person is Macheath otherwise known as Jack Sheppard. There’s more erotica than I’m comfortable with, but there’s also lots of interesting 18 century historical facts particularly about economics and the beginning of the London police force. So thanks, I’m able to cover one more challenge.

>118 Citizenjoyce: I think I know what you meant, but the idea of being comfortable with erotica seems odd to me - you're supposed to be excited by it.

>111 SqueakyChu: >113 jeanned: >118 Citizenjoyce: Always happy to provide an earworm or two!

>120 susanna.fraser: Speaking of earworms, I've had the same one for over a month...

"No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women
no fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger
Everyone..."

>121 Morphidae: patient zero of a new epidemic.

TIOLI Question Of the Month

You are the main character of the last book you read. Are you happy about that? Why or why not?

>123 SqueakyChu: The last book I read was Lord Peter Views the Body, which would make me Lord Peter Wimsey.
So a funny and very intelligent upper-class man who loves (and collects) books, is musically gifted, has great taste in food and fashion, lives a life of luxury, only works because he thinks it's fun, and has his own valet/gentleman's gentleman.
Yeah, I'm pretty happy with that.

>123 SqueakyChu: Reading now The Janus Stone, so I would be Ruth Galloway forensic archeologist. I could live with that. Some other books would have been much worse: Lucius in The Golden Ass was transformed into a donkey and mistreated a lot... or even worse Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, she didn't keep a diary after they were arrested, we all know where she ended :'(

>123 SqueakyChu: The last book I completed was Betsy-Tacy and Tib, about three 8-year-old friends in Minnesota around 1900. They had many fun adventures and parents who cared for them yet allowed them independence appropriate for their age (according to the standards of the day). Yes, I'd be happy with that!

>123 SqueakyChu: Last night I finished reading The Colour. It begins with Harriet Blackstone, new immigrant from England to New Zealand, coming to realize that her husband is a selfish so-and-so. But she loves the wide skies, is open to adventure, and eventually things work out well for her. It's appealing to me, having immigrated from the US to New Zealand and loving my adopted country. But I do prefer living in a world with things like running water, vaccinations, antibiotics, and refrigeration.

>123 SqueakyChu: I just finished a retrospective on Frank Sinatra. Call me Old Blue Eyes. I like to sing but even I'd admit I don't sing that well. But just think of all the people I would've met...

>123 SqueakyChu: I'm reading Sworn to Silence, so I am Kate Burkholder, the chief of police in the small Amish town of Painters Creek, Ohio. I'm always cold, I don't eat or sleep, I'm surrounded by a town who thinks I'm incompetent and doesn't hesitate to tell me so, suspects beat me up, and I'm chasing a serial killer who tortures (in explicit detail) and murders women. Oh, and I also have a secret that keeps me from reacting to all of this as I should. Nope. I do not want to be her, but, aside from the torture which is unnecessarily explicit, I do like reading about her.

I just (and I do mean just - within the last 10 minutes) finished Yellow Jack: How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets. I suppose that would make me Walter Reed, so I think...not. He lead the tremendously important, and remarkably successful work conducted by the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board in Cuba, but died shortly afterward of a ruptured appendix / peritonitis at the age of 51.
.

The main character of Temper has issues I'm just as glad not to deal with.

>125 FAMeulstee: The last book I finished was #11 in the Ruth Galloway series, The Stone Circle. I wouldn't be happy living in the middle of nowhere and I'm not that taken with King's Lynn as the nearest (not very) large town. My partner was brought up in a fenland village and went to school and college in Kings Lynn from the age of 11. I do love Ruth as a character and I'd quite like to meet Nelson or Cathbad.

I'm reading Belinda. I would not do well as a young lady entering society. I fancy the dresses, but I'd not be able to bite my tongue sufficiently.

>132 elkiedee: I work in King's Lynn, and I struggle to argue with you on that score; it's not somewhere you'd go out of your way to visit. I do love the drive across the fens though, those wide open skies. I might see if I can find book 1, it's always interesting reading about a place you know.

>93 raidergirl3: Thanks for putting The Italian Teacher in challenge #2 so I could share it with you . It’s a very interesting read. I love the idea of what makes good art. I’d take that bad, narcissistic dad over the cruel, damaged narcissistic mom in Sing, Unburied, Sing any day.

What's TIOLI policy on abandoned books? It's not something I do very often, so I've not paid attention to this particular ruling!

I made it 3/4 of the way through a book and finally quit before I lost the will to live! It was the literary equivalent of a packet of marshmallows; one or two are OK, but too many make you feel just a bit ick.

>135 Helenliz: Ha “finally quit before I lost the will to live!” I know the feeling. I’ve abandoned 4 books in the past 6 weeks. I no longer waste my time on books I hate when there are so many more out there calling to me. You can’t count them as read, but you do have the joy of getting them out of your sight.

>135 Helenliz:

You simply remove it from the wiki *unless* your book is in a rolling challenge, in which case you leave it there and mark it DNF.

>135 Helenliz: It's the "No Guilt Policy"! You are free to abandon reading ANY book you don't like at ANY TIME (even if it's a shared read) with NO GUILT. Life is too short to read books we don't like. Simply remove it from the wiki or mark it DNF if it's in a rolling challenge (as Liz mentioned above). DNF = did not finish. And furthermore... the LI is the “leave it” part of TIOLI.

I made it 3/4 of the way through a book and finally quit before I lost the will to live!

ROFL! I abandoned a book I was reading for my own challenge this month...without guilt...even though my challenge was SO CUTE!!!

>136 Citizenjoyce: You can’t count them as read, but you do have the joy of getting them out of your sight.

LOL!

The last book I finished was The Long Winter, so I'm quite happy not to be living out that story (it was a good reminder that our bizarre-weather winter is still coming with a lot more benefits than trying to survive the plains in the 1800s!). Before that I finished The Road to Little Dribbling, and traveling around the UK visiting museums, parks, seaside resorts and sporting events sounds quite lovely :-)

>50 paulstalder: I added a (misspelled) page with all the books that qualify, listed by challenge within year February 2019 TIOLI Challenge 17_Eligible Books

>140 quondame: Wow! Thank you, Susan!!

>140 quondame: wow. Susan. What a work. Thank you so much

>141 SqueakyChu: >142 paulstalder: You're welcome. The compulsions are rare, but not yet gone.

>143 quondame: Compulsions have their uses. Good job.

>138 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the reminder about the "no guilt" policy, Madeline. I still feel guilty when I bail out on a "promised" shared read, though I know I shouldn't be. At the start of a shiny, new month, I feel energetic but then end up reading mostly what I wanted to read, anyway. Unless it's really enticing to me, like The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, which is the basis for Damn Yankees. Also one of the best-known works of baseball fiction ever written. Big baseball fan that I am, you'd think I would've read this by now, but I haven't and it's time to remedy that.

>145 lindapanzo: I’m with you. Such great plans at the beginning of the month, then life and shiny new objects get in the way. I also feel bad when I back out of a shared read and feel very good when someone else has shares it - like I’m off the hook. I’m all for the no guilt policy.

>146 Citizenjoyce: My copy of the Yankees book arrived from ILL. It looks like a 1950's edition. I plan to start it tonight.

A sweeplette looked fairly doable this month for me but now, I'm not so sure.

>147 lindapanzo: I’m 3/4 of the way through The Poppy War. The Yankees are next.

>147 lindapanzo: Go, Linda!! I'm trying for a sweeplette this month, but only time will tell if I succeed.

>64 quondame:

Just checking: for the 'clothing' challenge, is a mystery with several clothing-based disguises okay?

>150 lyzard: Sure.

Thanks!

I finished The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant So now I’ve requested Damn Yankees from the library. I know I’ll love it.

>153 Citizenjoyce: I'm hoping to really get into it after I finish my fascinating, but long, WW2 homefront book. Nearly done with that one.

I completed my Sweeplette of the first page of challenges this morning!

>155 DeltaQueen50: Congratulations, Judy!
I have added your sweeplette to the 2019 Sweeplette Meter.

>155 DeltaQueen50: Way to go, Judy!! Congrats!

>155 DeltaQueen50: Good job! Congratulations! Don't you just love these small victories?!

>155 DeltaQueen50: Congratulations! Well done, lady!

>155 DeltaQueen50: congratulations

Thanks everybody. I wasn't sure I was going to be successful as I committed to more books this month that I should have.

*mutters, "I'm not being pushy, I'm NOT. I'm just... twitchy."*

*glances at watch, refreshes The Take It or Leave It Challenge Index, mutters*

>162 Morphidae: not just me then, lol

Where do you find the index?

>162 Morphidae: It's a nervous tic I have.

>163 raidergirl3: I'd like to know as well. I search LT for "leave it", click on Talk in the side bar, and check to see if the number of Topics listed has edged up by 1 (alas, still at 188).

>163 raidergirl3: >164 jeanned: In >1 SqueakyChu:, first sentence, clink on "this thread."

>165 Morphidae: Hahahaha! I clicked there once looking for rules on shared reads, never since.

>164 jeanned: I look in the 75 group for the most recent threads for the new one. I’m not a 75er.

>165 Morphidae: thanks!

Ha! Looks like I'm not the only one popping in and out of LT looking for something ....

>168 DeltaQueen50: I always look for something every month around this time, Judy. I imagine that you do, too.

>162 Morphidae: I was checking yesterday. Now that I'm reminded of the index, time will be saved!

Guess whaaaaAaaat?

I always look at the "recent changes" page of the wiki...

I had a great time reading within TIOLI this month... a page 1 sweeplette, and personal bests for number of books read (15) and number of shared reads (9).

>173 jeanned: Wondeful news! I failed to achieve a sweeplette, but congrats on yours...and on your super stats!

>173 jeanned: Congratulations!

>173 jeanned: Congratulations. Shared reads were sparse pickings this month!

I have a sweep!

>177 quondame: Hurray for Susan...and congrats!

>173 jeanned: Congratulations. A great time reading is what we're all here for.

>177 quondame: Congratulations, Susan!

>155 DeltaQueen50: >177 quondame: well done

Sweep complete!

>182 Morphidae: Congrats, Morphy!!

>182 Morphidae: Congrats! :-)

>182 Morphidae: Congratulations!

>182 Morphidae: Congratulations.

>173 jeanned: >182 Morphidae: Congratulations!

>182 Morphidae: Congratulations, Morphy!

Congratulations to our sweepers!

I am in under the wire with a sweeplette:

#1: The Crouching Beast by Valentine Williams
#2: Eternity Ring by Patricia Wentworth
#3: strange Fruit by Lillian Smith
#4: Farewell, Nikola by Guy Newell Boothby
#5: Belinda by Maria Edgeworth
#6: Charlie Chan Carries On by Earl Derr Biggers

>189 lyzard: Congratulations.

>191 SqueakyChu: Hey, Liz. Congratulations!

So yesterday was Housekeeping Day!

Did you remember to remove your unfinished books for February from the wiki (except for rolling challenges). Thanks!

Congrats to the sweepers!!!

Congratulations to the sweepers and sweepletters (sp?)! I managed to fit in a last minute sweeplet on page 1, with a shared read with Judy of The Stepsister Scheme. Delays in library books definitely made a few shared reads harder this month, but a book I requested last month, The Year the Yankees Lost the Penant, finally came in and I got the shared read this month.

With all the reading of Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries in January, I thought for sure more people would be continuing in February. Fortunately, no one joined me for a shared read in TIOLI #1 for Rogue Protocol, because it didn't show up for me at the library until March 1st. The irony here is that I donated the book to the library! So Karen, that's why I didn't join you for Exit Strategyas planned; it still hasn't shown up, lol.

>194 Dejah_Thoris: Congrats on your sweeplette!

>190 Citizenjoyce:, >191 SqueakyChu:

Thank you! :)

>195 SqueakyChu: Thank you!