Take It or Leave It Challenge - February 2020 - 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 2020 is to...

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Read a book whose first word of the first paragraph starts with a vowel
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Rules

1. Do not count the chapter title, just the first paragraph.
2. You may use a one-letter word such as "I" or "A" (capitalized if it's the first letter of the first sentence).
3. You may not count the letter "y".
4. List the first three words of that paragraph with your book listing.
5. If the book has an Introduction, use Chapter One for the qualifying word.,

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

1. The February 2020 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 2020 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter

Wiki Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book whose first word of the first paragraph starts with a vowel - msg #1
2. Read a book for the February CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge - msg #3 - thread
3. Read a book with a cover showing something you can wear on your face - msg #6 - thread
4. Read a book which has one of the 32 NFL team names in the title - msg #10
5. Read a book with the word 'night' or 'sleep' in the title, or a night-time image on the cover, or is set largely at night - msg #18
6. Read a book by an author we lost in 2019 - msg #20

Challenges #7-12
7. Read the next book in a series by a woman author - msg #22
8. Read a book with a metal in the title - msg #26
9. Read a book planning your date with an author - msg #27
10. Read a book with a sorority or fraternity connection - msg #28
11. Read a book with a curious, intriguing, provocative title - msg #29
12. Read a book that is divided internally by more than chapter headings - msg #31

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book that has at least three names of people mentioned on page one - msg #34
14. Read a book that has something to do with elections or voting - msg #42
15. Read a book with a (predominantly) purple cover for the February birthstone challenge - msg #43 - thread
16. Read a book where the authors name contains 4 or more different vowels - msg #40
17. Read a book about urban Indians or indiginous people living in cities
- msg #56
18. Read a Book written by Mary Higgins Clark - msg #69

Hold your challenge until the March, 2020, charges are posted. Thanks!

Challenge #2: Read a book for the February CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge

This month's challenges are related to (Anti-)Valentine's Day*! There will be ten this month.

NOTE: Everything is READY. All the challenges, all the images. No waiting for your challenges. Yay!

*There are the usual three on-topic options for each challenge then an "Anti-Valentine's Day" option. Have fun!



There will be 10 different book challenges. (The challenges change each month.) They include everything from genres/subgenres to well known (inter)national challenges, from something about a cover to the book's setting, from LT tools to title quirks. You won't know what your particular challenge will be until you roll a random number.

You can use https://www.random.org/ (the widget at the top right) or simply Google "random number 1 to 10."

NOTE: After a certain number of challenges have been given out, I will re-randomize the list. So you really will not know what you will get!

Post the number on the thread and I will give you your challenge. For any questions, please ask there or in a PM. Embedded words, as a rule, are allowed but partial words are not. For instance, in one case, a word like "walked" must include the entire word and not just the word "walk." Tags must be first level, i.e. do not click on "show all." No restrictions as to fiction or nonfiction unless otherwise stated in a challenge.

I'll allow *some* leeway in interpretation of the challenges, but try not to push it. When I say "significant" or "major" or "main" I will be strict. This is me, being strict:



Note: If I give a link to a list of books, it does not mean they *all* qualify for a challenge. The lists are simply starting points. If a book is on a referred list, it will not be accepted if it doesn't fit the challenge.

Shared reads ARE allowed. Shared challenges ARE NOT allowed. That is, if someone reads a book published in 2020. You can read the SAME book. You can't read a different book published in 2020 (unless you get that challenge yourself.)

You can have two uncompleted challenges at one time. UPDATE: Removing this as oddly enough in all the months I've been doing the mystery challenge no one has EVER had a duplicate number. Uh huh. *wink wink nudge nudge* If you roll a repeat number, you cannot reroll. If you reroll the same number a second time, all I can say is "ouch" and maybe you can plead your case.

(message deleted)

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I usually suck at cover challenges: so few of the books I read even have one, being either free ebooks or old hardcovers that have lost their dust-jackets; so just to be perverse, I thought I'd start one.

At least this time I *know* I can fit a book in!

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Challenge #3: Read a book with a cover showing something you can wear on your face

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1. Your cover does not have to show a face; one showing loose items that fit the parameters, such as glasses or a lipstick, would qualify. However, if you wanted to use (for e.g.) a tattoo, you would have to show that it is a facial tattoo.
2. I will not accept hats, unless the hat has a veil.
3. I will not accept hair; I will accept a moustache, beard or sideburns.
4. I will accept earrings, just 'cos; but not necklaces.
5. I will accept scars, but as with #1 you would need to show the face.

Any other possibilities I haven't thought of, please ask!

I will put up a thread shortly so we can show our covers.

ETA: The cover thread is here.

>6 lyzard: I wear a smile on my face. Haha!

Sorry, luv: not unless you wear lipstick or gloss too!

>1 SqueakyChu:

BTW if a book has an introduction etc, should we ignore it and start with Chapter 1?

Challenge #4: Read a book which has one of the 32 NFL team names in the title.

1. Link to the names
2. All the team names are plural but you may drop the s from the team name
3. Embedded words are NOT permissible

>10 Carmenere:

Are embedded words okay?

>11 lyzard: sorry, not this time. I'll include that on my post.

>12 Carmenere:

Dang! :D

>13 lyzard: hehehe

>9 lyzard:. Yeah. Start with Chapter One.

>10 Carmenere: Does the title have to include the entire team name, e.g. "Minnesota Vikings" or can it have either "Minnesota" or "Viking(s)" or just "Viking(s)"?

>15 SqueakyChu:

Thank you!

Another one of my NY resolutions this year (and the one that's doing worst so far!) is to get more sleep. So:

Challenge #5: Read a book with the word 'night' or 'sleep' in the title, or a night-time image on the cover, or is set largely at night

Embedded words fine.

>10 Carmenere: as a result of your challenge I discover that I have two copies of the same book in my library, which don't just have slightly different titles, but also slightly different versions of the author's name:

Viking Britain: an exploration by Tom Williams, and
Viking Britain: a history by Thomas Williams

So I guess I'll be reading one (or both?) of these!

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Challenge #6: Read a book by an author we lost in 2019
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We usually see a version of this challenge every January, but we didn't this year, so here it is in February. I'll be back when I'm more awake with a list.....

I'm having that thing where you're about a month off with all the challenges.

So I look at #4 and think, "Where were you when I was reading The Cardinal? And at #5 and grumble, "I'm pretty sure Sleeping Murder is next month." And at #6...and of course I read Marjorie Morningstar *this* month...

And that's just six challenges! :D

Having challenged you to read a book by a woman author you'd not read before, this month it's back to a tried and tested woman author.

====Challenge #7: Read the next book in a series by a woman author ====

I'm going to be quite open in the definition of series. It could be a character series - I'm reading the Ruth Galloway books by Elly Griffiths (having been caught by a book bullet flying around) and book 4 is next up. Or it could be their published works (or a subset thereof) being read in order - I'm working my way through Georgette Heyer's romances in order.

That shouldn't be too much of a problem. (and might help Liz out with one or two!)

>16 Morphidae: The title should include only the team name (plural or singular) sans the city.

>19 wandering_star: Hahaha, it's like a touchdown with the point after.

>21 lyzard: I haven't read any of those, at least not recently, so they make good suggestions for me.

Challenge #8: Read a book with a metal in the title

Elemental or alloyed, soft, hard or heavy, your choice. Embedded words are acceptable, spanning ones are not.

Here it comes, a bit earlier than usually, thanks to @Morphidae who gave me the hint about Valentine's Day and dating.

Challenge #9: Read a book planning your date with an author

- Plan a date with a famous author (either at least 20 books here in LT or an author rating 4.00 or higher), dead or alive.
- Choose what you will wear from the first words of the book you want to read
- imagine what gift you will give to your date (frogs, chocolate, saving account, snowman, ...) -> first words (first sentence, compare the usage on the CK pages for works)
- bring a book of your choice along, thinking of the author your going to meet (title)
- where will you meet? in Paris, in heaven, in the church, in a yellow submarine, in the gym ... -> first words
- what are you planning to do together? ice skating, lunch, museum, flying to the moon, hunting unicorns ... -> first words
- plan the happy end: Breakfast at Tiffany's, good night kiss at the door, in bed, on the moon, ... Title of a book you read, please consider your date: if you have a date with C. S. Lewis, don't end up with
'In bed with Madonna', stick to the author who is mentioned at the beginning. It might be fun to swap partners but not this time, okay?

in all choices please always check the author first mentioned, write the required parts in the wiki and highlight the relevant parts

# who? (author): Bruder Cadfael und der Ketzerlehrling - Ellis Peters - paulstalder
# outfit (first words):
# what gift? (first words):
# book (title):
# where? (first words):
# do what? (first words):
# how will it end? (Title):

the chaos may begin ... otherwise ask for clarifications which I might entangle of worsen

Challenge #10: Read a book with a connection to a sorority or fraternity

In honor of my college freshman niece, who just was accepted by/joined a sorority, please read a book with a connection to a sorority or fraternity. Notable alums of the one she is joining include historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (my favorite), as well as Anne Rivers Siddon, Joan Didion, and Katie Couric, among others.

Please indicate the connection.

Of course, you can read a book that actually involves a sorority or fraternity. However, I suspect that most people will read a book that is by or about a person who was in a sorority or fraternity.

Here's a list of sororities and fraternities. I found the notable members by looking at membership and/or notable members. Thus, I discovered that Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for example, was in a sorority.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_fraternities_and_sororities

List of sorority women/authors...

https://www.franbecque.com/10-authors-who-are-sorority-women-hint-caddie-woodlaw...

*****Challenge 11: Read a book with a curious, intriguing, provocative title*****

I have 3 planned reads for February. I have them written at the top of a coffee-stained page in a wire-bound notebook I keep on my desk for the purpose of tracking such things: The Blind Run; Free Live Free; True Crime.

Rather boring titles. It wasn’t much better in January: True Detective; The Citadel of the Autarch (yet another man in a high castle); and Bony Buys a Woman. (This last one is a bit scurrilous, but only because living in New Zealand I could choose that title over the Northern Hemisphere’s bland alternate of “The Bushman Comes Back”). Not at all like the imagination-stirring titles from two January shared reads - The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter and My Sister, the Serial Killer – or a recent The Atlantic article called “Jumping Earthworms Are Taking Over North American Forests” (https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/01/jumping-worms-are-taking-over-north-american-forests/605257/?utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2020-01-23T12%3A00%3A12).

This challenge is to read a book with a curious, intriguing, provocative title. I don’t have a book picked out for this challenge: I’m leaving it to you, my fellow TIOLI-ers, to tempt me.

>27 paulstalder: "first words"

Does that mean first line, first sentence, first paragraph, or first chapter? :D
...or maybe first book?! Haha!

Challenge #12: Read a book that is divided internally by more than chapter headings

A numbering system that is straightforward whether it has the word “Chapter” or not does NOT count, but a numbering system that also includes a date or other information does count.

Things that might divide a book besides or as well as Chapters are Parts, Dates, Quotations, Graphics etc. Prologues don’t count but chapters that have an unusual sequence of numbers do count.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time only has chapters that are prime numbers.

>29 jeanned: I think you're challenge #11.

>32 lindapanzo: Thank you.

Challenge #13: Read a book where at least three names of people are mentioned on page one.

These can be first names only or full names but must be actual names not titles and the names must belong to humans.

>30 SqueakyChu: 'first words' as used by LT on the CK pages of the works :)

>26 quondame: For Challenge #8: Would you accept "Blood" as a metal? I found this info on Google...."The molecule of hemoglobin contains iron in its molecular structure which is the exact same chemical element as the metal. You don't actually have iron free floating in you're blood but it's part of hemoglobin."

>36 Carmenere: Blood, like many substances contains some metal, but no, it isn't one. Salt, which contains sodium, won't work either. Alloys yes, compounds no.

>37 quondame: Ok, thanks. Drat!

>35 paulstalder: Oh! Okay! I hadn't even thought of that!

>25 quondame:

I'm glad someone's getting something out of this!

>31 dallenbaugh:

I read one of those last month too! :D

>21 lyzard: This happened to me every month for a couple of years.

Challenge #14: Read a book that has something to do with elections or voting

I'm listening to a podcast about the Iowa caucus, so elections are at the top of my mind...

Challenge 15: read a book with a (predominantly) purple cover for the February birthstone challenge

The birthstone for February is amethyst, a purple semiprecious stone in the quartz family. It is so named because the ancient Greeks believed it could protect you from drunkenness. (Good luck with that!)



I’ve created a new thread for covers in 2020, so please post them here.

>28 lindapanzo: do you accept European Student Associations like the Rodensteiner or the Zofingia in Switzerland or such? or is your challenge restricted to the USA only?

http://www.rodensteiner.ch/
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizerischer_Zofingerverein

>44 paulstalder: Yes, those would be ok, Paul.

I'd never heard of them but, apparently, similar organizations exist in other countries as well, including the Studentenverbindungen of German-speaking countries or the Goliardia in Italy.

I know that there's no guilt in TIOLI but I always feel awkward when I create a challenge and no one joins me. Was it something that I said?

>45 lindapanzo: I had trouble deciding what to read for your challenge, Linda, but have chosen to go with a classic of children's literature, Caddie Woodlawn.

>46 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for joining me, Judy. Makes me feel better. I note that Kristin Chenoweth, Cloris Leachman, and Kelli O'Hara were in the same sorority your author was in. They must've focused on acting students.

Not sure how far you are from Victoria, BC, but, over lunch, I finished a Jeanne Dams Net Galley cozy that was set there. Death in the Garden City. Sounds like a delightful place.

>47 lindapanzo: It is a delightful place - and my home town. I now live on the mainland in a suburb of Vancouver.

Challenge #16: Read a book where the authors name contains 4 or more different vowels

Vowels: A, E, I, O, U, Y

ETA: Variations with diacritical mark like Ä, Å count as the same vowel as A.
To keep it at 6 vowels, Æ can be either used as A or E.

>49 FAMeulstee: Some of us live in areas where the language has more vowels than the ones you mentioned, can we use those? (For example, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian and Danish has three more vowels; Å, Ä/Æ and Ö/Ø).

>50 PawsforThought: Yes, of course any variation of these vowels with diacritical mark is allowed.

ETA: I have added them to the explanation.

>29 jeanned: If I can find my copy, I may read it for February but I've long thought that I Still Miss My Man But My Aim is Getting Better, a mystery from Sarah Shankman, is one of the all-time great titles.

>52 lindapanzo: I haven't read it, but that is a great title.

My planned reads for the month:
Challenge #1: Read a book whose first word of the first paragraph starts with a vowel - started by SqueakyChu
*✔Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata (5)
Challenge #2: Read a book for the February CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge -- started by Morphidae
Elmet - Fiona Mozley
✔History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (4)
Kiss of Midnight- Lara Adrian - ABANDONED
Challenge #3: Read a book with a cover showing something you can wear on your face -- started by lyzard
*✔Me - Elton John (4)
Challenge #4: Read a book which has one of the 32 NFL team names in the title -- started by Carmenere
Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds - Bernd Heinrich
*✔The Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell (4)
Challenge #5: Read a book with the word 'night' or 'sleep' in the title, or a night-time image on the cover, or is set largely at night -- started by wandering_star
*The Night Tiger - Yangsze Choo
✔Sleep: The Myth of 8 Hours, the Power of Naps, and the New Plan to Recharge Your Body and Mind - Nick Littlehales (3)
Challenge #6: Read a book by an author we lost in 2019 -- started by Dejah_Thoris
* ✔Love - Toni Morrison (3)
*Spying on the South - Tony Horwitz ABANDONED
Challenge #7: Read the next book in a series by a woman author - started by helenliz
✔Blood, Salt, Water - Denise Mina (3.5)
Challenge #8: Read a book with a metal in the title - started by quondame
*✔The City of Brass - S. A. Chakraborty (2.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book planning your date with an author - started by paulstalder
✔Good Talk - Mira Jacob (4.5)b>Challenge #10: Read a book with a sorority or fraternity connection - started by lindapanzo
*✔Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Brink (3.5)
Challenge #11: Read a book with a curious, intriguing, provocative title - started by JeanneD
✔Baby Teeth - Zoje Stage (4)
*✔:The Jew Store - Stella Suberman (4.5)
✔Neither Wolf nor Dog 25th Anniversary Edition: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder - Kent Nerburn (3.5)
Challenge #12: Read a book that is divided internally by more than chapter headings - started by dallenbaugh
✔The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "Great Truth" about the "Lost Cause" by James W. Loewen (5)
✔The Girl Who Lived Twice - David Lagercrantz (3.5)
*✔Mrs. Caliban - Rachel Ingalls (4)
Challenge #13: Read a book that has at least three names of people mentioned on page one - started by DeltaQueen
Challenge #14: Read a book that has something to do with elections or voting - started by susanna.fraser
✔A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America - Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig (5)
Challenge #15: Read a book with a (predominantly) purple cover for the February birthstone challenge - started by humouress
*✔Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading - Nina Sankovitch (3.5)
Challenge #16: Read a book where the authors name contains 4 or more different vowels - started by FAMeulstee
✔The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee (5)
Challenge 17: Read a book about urban Indians or indiginous people living in cities - started by Citizenjoyce
*✔There There - Tommy Orange (4)
Challenge 18: Read a Book written by Mary Higgins Clark - started by thornton37814
Kitchen Privileges- Mary Higgins Clark

>1 SqueakyChu: Your challenge states it's a challenge for February 2019. I think this is one of the few years in which I was able to change the date right away. 2020 just has such a complete and rounded feeling.

I wasn't going to post a challenge this month, but I couldn't find any place to put my real life book club book so -
Challenge 17: Read a book about urban Indians or indiginous people living in cities
I'll be re reading There There by Tommy Orange.

>56 Citizenjoyce: I just finished, yesterday, a cozy mystery from Net Galley that involved an important character in this category. Set in Victoria, BC.

>57 lindapanzo: what was it?

>58 Citizenjoyce: Oops. Sorry, Joyce. The one I was telling Judy about in 47, above. Death in the Garden City by Jeanne M. Dams. It's a cozy but delves into First Nations issues and there are some key characters from the First Nations population.

>55 Citizenjoyce: Haha! Fixed. Thx!

>59 lindapanzo: Thanks.

>22 Helenliz:

Oh! - and meant to say:

That shouldn't be too much of a problem. (and might help Liz out with one or two!)

YES!! Thank you. :D

And speaking of which---

The Agatha Christie read this month is Elephants Can Remember. We will also be doing another Miss Silver, Anna, Where Are You? (aka "Death At Deep End").

>63 lyzard: see, I knew you'd find something to fit. >:-D

>64 Helenliz:

Just one or two.

Or seven or eight...

Wot no Valentines?

>66 humouress: Patience, my dear...

>67 Morphidae: Ooooh .....

Challenge 18: Read a Book written by Mary Higgins Clark

Sad to see the news of her death! I haven't read a book by her in a long time.

Madeline, could you please add the link to my cover challenge thread to >2 SqueakyChu: ?

It is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/316010

Thanks!

>70 lyzard: Done. You're welcome.

>68 humouress: & All...

My challenge in >3 Morphidae: has been updated! All challenges are ready to go with no waiting. Whoo hoo!

Update 2/3: All the challenges have been chosen/posted.

Please be aware that for my Valentine's themed challenge in >3 Morphidae: there are many options within each challenge for those not interested in the romance genre including items on covers, words in titles, Booker Prize, horror genre, "DNF" tag, etc.

I don't know if the low participation this month is due to the theme or waning interest. If it's waning interest, then March will be the last month for the mystery challenges. Only because it's a LOT of work for less than 15 or so reads. I spend anywhere from 4 - 6 hours just doing set up. I don't mind if there is enough interest.

>73 Morphidae: I know I'm not going to read a book for every challenge in each month. I'd like to participate in your challenge, but only got round to doing the random number generator thing a few hours ago. For me it's also complicated because I only normally add books I have finished to the Wki and though I can be flexible, I certainly don't want to try and list everything at the beginning of the month.

I think the mystery challenge is very complicated and this may be reducing take up of challenge 2. I love the challenges I've seen listed in your mystery challenge threads and there are some great ideas - I like this month's anti-romance challenges too!

I have posted on the challenge thread and am awaiting details of a challenge. In at least one previous month I waited a few days. I understand that sometimes in previous months you've been unwell or too busy, and I'm not saying this to complain. But sometimes it's easier to list a book for another simpler challenge, or sometimes I see a potential shared read, though mostly I actually finish that shared read a month or two after someone else read it for TIOLI. Perhaps you could simplify it for youreslf and others

a) scale down the workload for yourself - less options for challenges - 5 x 3 would still be fun and interesting - there are 40 on this months which is impressive
b) list the challenges on thread to start with rather than having to deal with "I rolled this number, please can I have my challenge?" queries, If you decide it's time to change one of the challenges, then just amend those details and post that there has been a change.

These suggestions may sound to you like they completely spoil the fun, and you may well completely disagree.

Still hoping to match one of my current reads to one of your challenges this month.

>34 DeltaQueen50: In F&FS books do sapient species qualify as "human"? That is elves and aliens with their own languages and cultures.

>73 Morphidae: As I am a romance reader, I will definitely be reading books for both of the challenges you gave me--I just haven't made up my mind which ones yet.

>73 Morphidae:

I have held off so far because I have already overcommitted myself this month, but if I make good progress through my must-reads I will try to participate.

>74 elkiedee:
I may bring it down to 6x3 (for a six-sided dice) but people will still need to roll. It IS a mystery challenge after all. ;)

I tried to have the challenges ready earlier but I still need to be better.

>73 Morphidae: - I'm more of a casual TIOLI-er and probably not representative. I tend to only do challenges that are realtively simple, straightforward, and for which I can easily tell if a book fits. I'm not interested in the more complicated date-planning/murder mystery type challenges, and I don't really want to have to hunt or wait to find out if a book fits. Even the rolling challenges don't appeal much to me - if a space is open when I check, I'll stick my book in there but I won't haunt the page, waiting for a specific space.

But I think I'm in the minority in that I don't usually plan my reads around the challenges. I read whatever and while reading it, or right after, I'll see if it fits somewhere.

>73 Morphidae: I managed to find a book to fit the challenges I rolled for yours but, alas, I am having a very slow reading month. I may put Spying on the South aside and save it for another time. Despite the rave reviews it's gotten, it's a slog for me. If I put it aside, my reading might pick up.

>73 Morphidae: Morphy, you'll probably hate me for saying this, but the only reason that I actually am reading a book for your challenge this month is because you are challenge #2, and I already read a book for challenge #1. I want to try for a sweeplette (which I won't be able to do because I'll run out of time). I did roll numbers for your previous challenges, but I never got to them as I only read about four or five books a month unless a few of them are kids' books.

Another idea (for which you will also probably hate me) is that I think your Mystery Challenges would make a fabulous challenge by itself (outside of the TIOLI challenges). I love having them here, but for all of the work you do on it, you might be able to attract more participants by making it your own challenge. Just food for thought. I want you to be satisfied with good participation after you do so much work. The reason I do stats on the TIOLI challenges is also to monitor the interest. If I see it waning too much, I tell this group. I do this for fun, but only as long as I see the participation. I understand what you're saying.

P.S. The book I'm reading this month for your challenge is turning out to be a good one so it will be a COMPLETED and not a DNF! :D

>81 SqueakyChu: Another idea (for which you will also probably hate me) is that I think your Mystery Challenges would make a fabulous challenge by itself (out side of the TIOLI challenges).

That's something I might consider as well.

>82 Morphidae: That's something I might consider as well.

Cool!

Thought about it over night and I think I'm done. I've had the mystery challenge 7 times. That's 210+ challenges and 70+ graphics. I think I'd like spend that time working on my own thread and reading other people's threads. I'll either do "single" challenges or mystery challenges with just 10 options and 1 themed graphic. Or maybe a themed rolling challenge.

> 84 Thanks for the time and energy you put into this - I coud only participate once (maybe twice, but it was fun. Enjoy yo9ur new directions.

>84 Morphidae: That sounds perfect, Morphy! We want you to have fun rather than be stressed here. However, I for one do appreciate all of the hard work you put into creating your mystery challenges. Thank you so much for that.

One of the problems that I see having your mystery challenges as part of the TIOLI challenges and not a separate challenge to itself is that there are too many other completing challenges which seem simpler, as was mentioned above. Some of us like the more complicated ones (I do!), but others like them very simple...and that's okay as well.

>84 Morphidae: We appreciate all your hard work.

>75 quondame: I should have included that in my original challenge. YES, elves, aliens, fairies and goblins etc. with their own culture and languages would certainly qualify :)

>74 elkiedee: I'm not suggesting that people shouldn't be asked to "roll" the dice or the random number generator.

Thank you both for the effort and for some really interesting challenges.

>28 lindapanzo:

Linda, I'm not sufficiently familiar with American usages to be sure: would an hono(u)r society like Phi Beta Kappa count?

>90 lyzard: Sorry, but no. Phi Beta Kappa, as I understand it, is an honor society. My challenge is for social sororities and fraternities.

I have had a horribly slow reading month but I'm finally picking up the pace.

Like others, I only participate in the more straightforward challenges. I don't want to spend hours trying to find a book that might fit something when I could be using the time to read or do something else.

I've had a couple books this time that appear to have disappeared from the TIOLI. I'm not sure if it is due to someone else having it open at the same time as I did and me completing my post before they did or what. One was in a rolling challenge, and I don't remember what the book was now or even the exact term, but I do know the category is back around. However, the book was likely a returned library e-book so I no longer have access to it. The other one was just re-inserted as I finally got around to reading it and went to update it to completed and found it not there. It may have even been when my Internet kept cutting out. (I looked at the page history and didn't see it.)

TIOLI Question of the month

Just a generlc question this month. In all the time that you've been involved with the TIOLI challenges, have they introduced you in a good way to genres that you otherwise would not have read? Please elaborate! Thanks! :D

>93 SqueakyChu: Just last month I was challenged to read a cozy mystery with an amateur detective who has a hobby like business by Morphy's challenge. I usually avoid cozy mysteries but found that I enjoyed the one and it made a nice, light change from some of my more serious books.

>93 SqueakyChu: I haven't really come across any new genres since I have over 60 years of reading tried some of almost everything, from the ancients and tech manuals to manga, though I don't recall nearly as much same sex romance before LT, though that's probably not so much the challenges. but a bit.

>93 SqueakyChu: Not really. I'd say the category challenges do this more for me. I haven't bothered to be a completist in TIOLI.

>93 SqueakyChu: It's not really a new genre to me, but I do think I'm reading more non fiction since TIOLI.

>93 SqueakyChu: It is not a new genre but I am picking up new series to read due to TIOLI.

>93 SqueakyChu: Not a new genre, but I'm definitely discovering books I would never have encountered without TIOLI -- e.g. the Bride's Story manga series, which I adore.

>99 susanna.fraser: Hurray for people who have discovered manga and graphic novels here! :D

For anyone playing along at home, I have placed Patricia Wentworth's Anna, Where Are You? in #7 and Agatha Christie's Elephants Can Remember in #9.

>93 SqueakyChu:

I don't do enough of that stretching, usually because I'm overburdened with self-challenges when the month starts, but I have done some at least and would like to do more. My best chance this month is probably to pick up a Mary Higgins Clark when I return my other library books.

>93 SqueakyChu: I have read many books I never would have read without TIOLI. Especially during the time I was going for sweeps each month, and sometimes when I see a possible shared read.
With the 75 group and the TIOLI challenges, LibraryThing has changed my reading a lot in the last decade.

>22 Helenliz: The book I am reading now fills in a gap in its series for my reading. I just spotted it at a library I only occasionally get to. I have read books before and after it. Can I call it next in a series?

>103 Helenoel: Yes, I can accept a book filling a gap in a series as being "next". It's moving towards completing a series and I understand that sometimes series get read out of order.

Some people may find material in this post upsetting, if you've been affected by the issues raised, please call our helpline, or go for a lie down in a dark room for a while.

>104 Helenliz:

:P

:D

>105 lyzard: >:-D

You can post March's thread now. I'm actually ready for once.

:D

>107 Morphidae: Hahahahahaha!

>107 Morphidae: What are you sniggering at?

That you guessed it's going up soon? :D

I have completed a sweep for February!

>111 quondame: Congratulations!

>111 quondame: Congratulations, Susan!

>111 quondame: congratulations

Oh, poop!

I had to return a couple of books at the library and while I was there I quickly grabbed a Mary Higgins Clark novel that I thought would give me a shared read---only now I see that Barbara listed I've Got You Under My Skin and the book I brought home is I've Got My Eyes On You.

Checking reveals that my library doesn't actually hold I've Got You Under My Skin so that share was never a possibility, but I'm still unreasonably annoyed. :D

I have a sweeplette! I don't normally aim for these but I realised that I only needed one more read, and discovered a book in my TBR which fitted the challenge of an author who died in 2019 (Vonda McIntyre, author of Dreamsnake, which I've owned for a few years). I really enjoyed it, too.

Nebula and Hugo Award-winning feminist SF author Vonda N. McIntyre, whose Dreamsnake is an under-read classic, died on April Fools’ Day at the age of 70. In addition to being a prolific writer, she was known as a mentor and teacher at the Clarion West writers’ workshop (alongside Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia Butler, among others).

>111 quondame: Congratulations!

>116 wandering_star: Congratulations, I have added you to the list :-)

>111 quondame: Brava, Susan!

>116 wandering_star: Congratulations!

Re: Vonda N. McIntyre: I owned Dreamsnake for years before finally reading it in 2019. The Exile Waiting was another I'd had on the shelf (in a tub, actually) and got to last December. I really enjoyed them both. I'm planning to keeping reading her all year, if you (or anyone else) would like to join me.

>115 lyzard: Liz, are you still going to read I've Got My Eyes on You? I can probably join you. Let me know.

>111 quondame: >116 wandering_star: Congratulations to you both.

I'll probably have to remove just about all my books from the Wiki. I've been reading, and greatly enjoying, the very long Doris Kearns Goodwin book, No Ordinary Time to the exclusion of almost everything else. Hoping to finish it in the next day or two.

Makes me want to read more about Winston Churchill. Most likely, the next one will be the new Erik Larson book on Churchill during wartime, The Splendid and the Vile

>111 quondame:. >116 wandering_star:

Congratulations!!

>118 Dejah_Thoris:

I'm going to try! I know Saturday is going to be a bit of a reading write-off, though, so I may not get it finished.

On the other hand you've just added the carrot of a shared read to the stick of my OCD, so... :D

>116 wandering_star: Fun! Congrats on your sweeplette!

>120 lyzard: I was able to get it from the library, but I have tons to read, too. I can go with either month - your pick!

>122 Dejah_Thoris:

It looks like this month will work for me. Thanks, Dejah! :)

>118 Dejah_Thoris: I am trying not to buy any stuff in 2020, including books, and she's not available from my library - so I won't be able to join you, but I will look forward to your reviews of her writing (I can still add books to my wishlist, fortunately!)

I have just joined >116 wandering_star: in a sweeplette with Challenges #7 - 12.

>125 DeltaQueen50: Hurray! Congrats!

>123 lyzard: Liz, I started I've Got My Eyes On You, but I don't think I'm going to be able to read it. I'm finding it very off-putting, which has never happened with a Mary Higgins Clark novel before, although I admit it's been a few years since I picked one up.

I'm so sorry!

>127 Dejah_Thoris:

No worries! It was only an afterthought for me, a way of doing one more challenge, and one I wouldn't ordinarily participate in; so I still have that.

I agree, though: I'm finding it simplistic and rather shallow.

TIOLI stats for January 2020

In 16 challenges for January, 2020, we read a toal of 319 books, of which 59 or 18% were shared reads. Our YTD TIOLI points are 31.

The stats look fine except for the YTD TIOLI point total which was the lowest first month total since 2017. Not to worry. We'll do better next month!

The most popular book was Death Walks In Eastrepps by Francis Beeding which was read by 4 challengers.

The most popular challenge, with 38 books read, was the one by @helenliz to read a book by a woman author you've not read before.

The challenge with the most TIOLI points (six of them) was also the one by by @helenliz to read a book by a woman author you've not read before.

TIOLI awards are coming...

The TIOLI Awards for January 2020

The Namely Award goes to @Carmenere for reading The Island of Sea Women for SqueakyChu's (my) challenge to read a book whose number of title words equals the number of names you find in the title. This challenger found five names in five title words.

The True Crime Award goes to @JeanneD for the fun challenge to solve murders with clues from Page 1 in which a murder, crime scene, and weapon had to be described. The results were quite funny. Great idea for a challenge!

The Creation Completed Award goes to @paulstalder for the challenge to read a book, with something in the first sentence which was created according to Genesis on the different days. The clincher for this award was due to the fact that there was an entry for all seven days...and then after that...I guess we all rested!

The Must Have Been a Good Read Award goes to @antqueen for reading To Sleep with the Angels for FAMeulstee's challenge to read a book with a LT rating of 3.8*. With a rating of 4.46, I guess this was quite a good book!

Congrats to our award winners! Feel free to add awards of you own if you so desire at this time.

Hahaha! The True Crime Award! That is so perfect. Thank you. I had so much fun watching the clues grow, and some of those murder weapons were outstanding. Thanks to everyone who played with me.

>129 SqueakyChu: This was why March took me by surprise!

Thanks to all those who read a book by a new woman author. Hopefully some of them were good and you'll be picking up another by your new find.

>129 SqueakyChu: Thanks Madeline for the award. It was good that all could rest after seven days of reading ... so to speal, there were seven people 'working' (reading) one day each and we accomplished the whole creation - not quite, but rather interesting

congratulations to my fellow award winners

Ah, dear.

Another month TIOLIing, another two Lizlettes... :D

>112 DeltaQueen50: >113 SqueakyChu: >114 Citizenjoyce: >117 FAMeulstee: 118 >119 lindapanzo: >120 lyzard: Thank you! Another great collection of challenges.

>134 lyzard: Oh, no!! There's always next month. :D

>130 SqueakyChu: Oh my goodness! Thanks, Madeline for the Namely Award and thanks to author, Lisa See, I couldn't have done it without you.

Congrats to all the January winners!

>136 SqueakyChu:

I'm actually shaping for a sweeplette in March, I'm terribly excited! :D

>138 lyzard: Go for it! Rah! Rah! Rah!

>130 SqueakyChu: Congratulations to all the award winners!

>129 SqueakyChu: Lovely stats - except for the shared reads. I admit, I've been finding them difficult to come by this month. I've been in quirky reading moon and many things I planned to read just aren't working out for me. I'm still trying to get a few more in, though!

>138 lyzard: Go Liz, go Liz, go Liz!

>139 SqueakyChu:, >140 Dejah_Thoris:

Thank you, ladies!

>140 Dejah_Thoris: No guilt about the shared reads. I often don't do it, but I encourage them because it stimulates some good conversation between those who read the same book.

>93 SqueakyChu: I just thought of a genre that I wouldn't have read if it hadn't been for TIOLI - baseball books. Between my grandson's playing school ball and lindapanzo's love of the game, I've read baseball books that never would have crossed my mind in a "normal" universe.

>143 Citizenjoyce: I'm so pleased to hear that!! I'm up to 341 (at least ones that I've tagged under baseball). I mention that because some people tell me that they wonder how there are that many but, in fact, I've barely scratched the surface. Baseball books are among the ones I acquire faster than I can read them. I need to quit paying attention to Ron Kaplan's baseball book blog.

Housekeeping Day!

You know the drill. Delete any book from teh wiki that you do not finish by 12midnight tonight exceppt for the Rolling challenges in which you can just mark them DNF (did not finish)! Thanks!

>143 Citizenjoyce: >144 lindapanzo: Did you all know there is a baseball in literature conference each year in Ottawa, Kansas? An English professor from our university usually presents a paper there. The guy who heads up the conference used to be a professor at our institution so other professors presented there until their retirement also.

ETA: Looks like one retiree still presents.

Here's the line-up for this year: https://www.ottawa.edu/baseball-conference/agenda/

My February books:

19) First Truth by Dawn Cook

Challenge 12: divided internally by more than chapter headings Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Challenge 15: birthstone challenge - predominantly purple cover Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal (shared)

Challenge 11: a curious, intriguing, provocative title How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason

✔ 15) The Sound of Her Wings by Neil Gaiman et al
✔ 14) Sound and Fury by Neil Gaiman et al

Challenge 13: three names of people are mentioned on page one 24 Hours by Neil Gaiman et al
✔ 12) Passengers by Neil Gaiman et al
✔ 11) A Hope in Hell by Neil Gaiman et al

Challenge 1: first word of the first paragraph starts with a vowel Dream a Little Dream of Me by Neil Gaiman et al

✔ 9) Imperfect Hosts by Neil Gaiman et al

Challenge 5: ‘night’ or ‘sleep’ in the title Sleep of the Just by Neil Gaiman et al

Challenge 3: First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennet

Challenge 15: birthstone challenge - predominantly purple cover Forest Born by Shannon Hale