Take It or Leave It Challenge - August 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 August, 2020, is to...

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Read a book with at least 750 conversations on LibraryThing
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List the number as well as the book, please. To find that number, go to your book's main page and look down the column on the left side of the page. Fourth from the bottom. you'll see the word "Conversations" followed by a number. That's the number you want!

Heh! You're probably now thinking that this is a very high number. Not really. Think about books which are either very popular or very controversial. That should do it. Have fun choosing!

Here are a few suggestions to get you started...

Anna Karenina (1572)
Brave New Worl (1214)
Dune (885)
Fahrenheit 451 (1296)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1725)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (828)
Lord of the Flies (1003)
Moby Dick (1460)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1278)
The Pillars of the Earth (870)
Rebecca (1549)
Slaughterhouse-Five (886)

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

1. The August 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

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Temporary Thread --- to help us all through this pandemic and other charged situations around the world

TIOLI Challengers' Corona Virus and Other Matters Support Thread

Wiki Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book with at least 750 conversations on LibraryThing - msg #1
2. Read a book from one of the lists on fivebooks.com - msg #3
3. Read a book about a doll, or for which there is a doll - msg #9 - thread
4. Read a book where one of the title words starts or ends with the letter "P" - msg #10
5. Read a book which came into your possession since March 15 - msg #11
6. Read an article from the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker or Vanity Fair - msg #12

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book by an author who has been longlisted for the Woman's Prize for Fiction (formally the Orange Prize) - msg #16
8. Read a book for the August CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge - msg #22 - thread
9. Read a book for the PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE Rolling Challenge - msg #30
10. August birthstone challenge - read a book with a predominantly lime green cover - msg #34 - thread
11. Read a book where the first word of the title is longer than the second - msg #47
12. Read a book by Louis L'Amour - msg #48

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book by an author who shares a first name with my parents or their descendants - msg #53
14, Read a book published before 2010 - msg #63

Hold your challenge until the September 2020 TIOLI challenges are posted. Thank you!

Challenge #2: Read a book from one of the lists on fivebooks.com

The website fivebooks.com conducts interviews where they ask people to recommend five books on a particular subject. The interviews are often quite interesting and they give a flavour of the books they are recommending.

You can browse the subjects using the bar across the top of the screen, or if you have a book you think might fit, you can search for it in the search bar. If the book is mentioned in one of their lists, you will see the lists after the description of the book. See for example the search result for Frankenstein, https://fivebooks.com/book/frankenstein-by-mary-shelley/, which is on a range of lists including Regency, Gothic, science fiction classics, women in society, and several others.

Wow, 750 conversations is a lot! If only it was possible to sort by the number of conversations or even the number of copies of the book on LT...

>4 wandering_star: It's a lot, but think of the books that drive the most lively conversations on LT. Bingo! You've got one that will fit my challenge.

>3 wandering_star: That is a VERY cool website...and a great place from which to start selecting worthwhile books. I especially like the interviews with the book selectors. Thanks for pointing it out to us.

>6 SqueakyChu: Because none of us have a problem with owning too many books......

>7 wandering_star: Exactly!

Challenge #3: Read a book about a doll, or for which there is a doll


Stuffed animals and aliens are specifically excluded. So Winnie-the-Pooh works because there is a Christopher Robin doll, not because there are infinite stuffed Poohs, and Opus or Bill the Cat won't qualify Bloom County, nor will Stitch qualify Lilo & Stitch.

A doll of the author - see above - also qualifies a book, or a book such as Prince of Foxes in which a doll has a part, small but telling. That book also qualifies because there is a Lucretia Borgia doll.

Paper dolls, bobble heads, Funko Pop!, action figures do count, so readers of graphic novels and manga pretty much get a shoo in.

All entries, please post a picture on Take It or Leave It Challenge - August 2020 - It's a Doll
I've posted many suggestions there as well. Please add any you'd like remembered even if you're not going to read them in August, as I always want to learn about more!

Suggestions gladly offered.

Challenge #4: Read a book where one of the title words starts or ends with the letter "P"

I think this is pretty straight-forward, but if you have any questions, please ask away!

Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15

By this, I mean on March 15 or later, a book that came into your possession by whatever means, purchase, loan, etc.

I chose this because I got to thinking that, since the pandemic hit, which for me was on March 15 when I learned I'd be working at home for the duration, I haven't purchased as many books as usual and I certainly haven't borrowed as many.

Challenge #6: Read an article from the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker or Vanity Fair or a similar magazine from another country
This won't help anyone going for sweeps, but I looked at my magazines piling up and decided I really need to read some of them. We had a similar challenge a few years ago, and it seemed like a good idea to try again. We'll finally get a work out on the works wiki.

>11 lindapanzo: Linda, your challenge will help me with all these Kindle Unlimited books that I keep stuffing on my Kindle!

>12 Citizenjoyce: This is a great idea!

>14 wandering_star: We do get behind, don't we?

Hello August.
Challenge #7: Read a book by an author who has been longlisted for the Woman's Prize for Fiction (formally the Orange Prize)

As long as the author has been longlisted for the Woman's Prize for Fiction (under any of its sponsorship names over the last 25 years), you can read any of their output. Please say in the wiki in which year they were listed and if they made the longlist, shortlist or they won.

Website, for reference, is here: https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/
>:-)

>13 DeltaQueen50: I'm glad. It should also help me with all those Net Galleys I accumulate somehow. They seem to multiply when I'm not looking.

I had to laugh since I usually post my challenge and then put in a ton of books before anyone even notices it's there. Not this time. I suddenly got swamped with work and haven't even thought about it for the last 90 minutes plus.

>12 Citizenjoyce: My magazines have piled up lately, too, including the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books so this works well.

>1 SqueakyChu:

Ouch. I'm used to using the conversations to find my own references to books on old threads, because no-one talks about what I read.

>11 lindapanzo:

Linda, I don't think I've acquired any that I haven't read; is it okay to acquire one for this challenge?

>18 lyzard: Check the numbers on some classics. That should easily do it.

>19 SqueakyChu:

Yeah, but I've already read 'em all. And often lectured other people about them. :D

>20 lyzard: All?!!!!!!!!!!

Challenge #8: Read a book for the August CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge

(Going to have to skip the pretty, decorative badges for now. LT is adding huge amounts of white space to them again.)

There will be *6* (EDITED to change to SIX. Can't do ten anymore. Six works as you can use a regular die!) 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), Google "random number 1 to 6," or simply roll a die.

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 to this thread and I will give you your challenge. For any questions, please ask here 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.)

>21 SqueakyChu:

Wellll...all the ones that warrant 750 conversations. :D

It's okay: I have a book in mind now, though library trips are still a bit tricky...

>23 lyzard: Well, at least I picked a challenge that is challenging. That's the point. Right? :D

>12 Citizenjoyce: Aside from Threads, I don't do magazines, but!, hidden in the back of a bookcase I found a August 2002 Vanity Fair, #504 probably left by a family member. I seem to remember that my elder brother was mentioned in it, but if so it was on the missing page toward the front. Nothing in the remaining contents suggests why I kept it. It is strange that all the young faces are now almost 20yrs older and a lot of the older faces are dead. Maybe I'll read the article about Michael Ovitz in which he said the Gay Mafia was out to get him.

>12 Citizenjoyce: That vicious gay mafia.

My planned reads for the month

Challenge #1: Read a book with at least 750 conversations on LibraryThing - started by SqueakyChu
*✔Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman (3.5)
Challenge #2: Read a book from one of the lists on fivebooks.com - started by wandering_star
✔Blue Ticket: A Novel - Sophie Mackintosh (3.5)
Challenge #3: Read a book about a doll, or for which there is a doll - started by quondame
✔Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen - Sarah Bird (4)
✔The Reluctant Midwife -Patricia Harman (4.5)
Challenge #4: Read a book where one of the title words starts or ends with the letter "P" - started by DeltaQueen
Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold
Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15 - started by lindapanzo
✔Hidden Valley Road - Robert Kolker (4)
✔It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump - Stuart Stevens (5)
*✔Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man - Mary L. Trump (4)
Challenge #6: Read an article from the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker or Vanity Fair - started by Citizenjoyce
Challenge #7: Read a book by an author who has been longlisted for the Woman's Prize for Fiction (formally the Orange Prize) - started by helenliz
✔Milkman by Anna Burns (3)
Challenge #8: Read a book for the August CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge -- started by Morphidae
✔The Book of Longings: A Novel - Sue Monk Kidd (3.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book for the PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE Rolling Challenge -- started by lyzard
The Man in the Red Coat - Julian Barnes
Challenge #10: August birthstone challenge - read a book with a predominantly lime green cover -- started by humouress
✔Please Ignore Vera Dietz - A. S. King (3.5)
✔A Song for a New Day - Sarah Pinsker (5)
Challenge #11: Read a book where the first word of the title is longer than the second -- started by FAMeulstee
✔American Dirt - Jeanine Cummins (5)
Challenge #12: Read a book by Louis L'Amour. -- started by SilverWolf28
✔Fair Blows the Wind - Louis L'Amour (3)
Challenge #14: Read a book published before 2010 - started by raidergirl3
✔Bel Canto - Ann Patchett (5)

>12 Citizenjoyce: Can I read an article from a similair Dutch weekly magazine?

>24 SqueakyChu:

Lately you've been a little TOO challenging! :)

Challenge #9:

Read a book for the PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE Rolling Challenge

To qualify, a book must have 'past', present' and/or 'future' in its title;

OR

Be explicitly set:

PAST: At least 25 years before its original publication date;
PRESENT: Within 5 years of its original publication date;
FUTURE: In the future, compared to the original publication date.

You must be able to list on the wiki how your work qualifies: a date, certain events within the text, etc.

Works that make brief reference to a category other than the one listed DO qualify; but works that cover events from the past right up to the present, for example a family history, DO NOT.

Works of science fiction or fantasy qualify, as long as there is some reference to recognisable history. Works wholly of fantasy do not.

You may list your book in any of the three categories, but all three must be filled before another is begun. You may list as many books as you like, including two or more back-to-back.

I hope that's clear; please let me know if it isn't!

>29 lyzard: Lately you've been a little TOO challenging!

Nope! It's all relative, Lately I've been too easy. Now I'm going back to my former self. :D

>31 SqueakyChu: Not to worry, I'll find something...but thanks for your suggestions.

>28 FAMeulstee: You point out my Americacentrism. Yes, a similar type magazine from another country will be fine.

**********Challenge 10: August birthstone challenge - read a book with a predominantly lime green cover **********

  

The birthstone for August is peridot, one of a very few gemstones found in just one colour (finally!) although the summery tone can vary from yellow green to olive green. It is a variety of olivine, found in volcanoes and meteorites. Apparently it was Cleopatra's favourite gem because she mistook it for emerald and Romans called it the 'evening emerald' because it retains its lustre by lamplight.

Please post your covers on the birthstone covers challenge thread.

>31 SqueakyChu:

It's been extra difficult without library access, though. :)

>32 lindapanzo:

Linda, you may have missed my question in >18 lyzard:: if I do not have an unread acquired book, is it okay to acquire one?

>36 lyzard: *gasps* How is that even possible?

Do you have a fever? Broken legs? Have you been lobotomized? You poor thing.

Is there a librarian or bookstore owner in the house?!

>37 Morphidae:

No access to my main library plus a read-as-you-go ebook habit. What I have acquired*, I have read! :)

(*Acquired since 15th March, that is!)

>36 lyzard: You're right. I did miss it. Sorry about that. Yes, you can acquire. In fact, I will count any books I acquire in August.

I haven't set foot in a bookstore since the holidays last year but I've acquired a number of Net Galleys since March 15 and my library has let me borrow Kindle books since then. I've also picked up a few now that the library has reopened. I don't mind going in to pick them up but there's no seating and not an atmosphere to linger and peruse.

I've also picked up a couple of books from the Book of the Month Club too, but not many.

>39 lindapanzo:

Whoo! - thank you. :)

The academic library that is my main source remains closed to non-students, and my local library is not much use to me as a source of my usual books, so I've been forced into buying things on Kindle that would usually be academic loans and very much resenting it; so I've been keeping such purchases to a minimum and mostly downloading freebies, when I can, as I need them.

>35 lyzard: Well, you have a point there. Does your library allow digital downloads? Try that.

Oooh! Ooooh! Linda! If you're going to read Emma for my challenge, follow it along on this tutored thread that Liz did with others several years ago. It'll be fun and helpful for you!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/231425

By the way. Liz, my niece who graduated from Princeton did not major in English although she did become a journalist for MSNBC. Now she's headed to law school although she hasn't told me which one she picked. Seriously, though, I can't imagine attending law school now during the pandemic when everything is online. What a nightmare!

For people who do not have use of their library now and don't want to spend money (except for postage) on books, why not use BookMooch? I used to acquire books from BookMooch all the time -- that is, until I had no more room in my house for more acquisitions.

>42 SqueakyChu: Thanks Madeline. I will take a look at that. This isn't the first time I've promised to read Emma but, maybe this time, I will.

By the way, when I saw the Navy honor guard guy faint the other day, I got to thinking about my friend's son at the Naval Academy. Plebes were quarantined (18 hours a day) for 2 weeks and my friend's son's roommate was in sick bay so he was rooming alone. I saw his Oath of Office online but they are now only 1.5 weeks through Plebe Summer and I understand it's been very hot and humid. By all accounts, it's a very strange summer for them. (Since they can't call, she is waiting to hear, by letter, whether the roommate ever came back and whether he had COVID).

>41 SqueakyChu:

Chiefly because my local library is very much NEW!NEW!NEW!NEW!NEW! and doesn't actually hold much that I want to read; I use it chiefly as a conduit for ILLs.

I haven't really thought about it as a source of challenge books I wouldn't otherwise choose to read. :)

>42 SqueakyChu:

Aww, thank you! :D

My goodness, she's brave! I remember you reporting her progress back then; I hope all goes well for her.

>43 lindapanzo: You will have so much FUN if you do it along with Liz's tutored read. I can GUARANTEE that. She even made me enjoy the ride as much as I did NOT want to read Emma. :D

>43 lindapanzo: It's been gruesomely hot here in Maryland the past few week, with temperatures mostly in the mid nineties. It's very humid as well since we're near the Chesapeake Bay., making the heat index go even higher. This is a terrible time to begin any new experience, but I guess everyone and every institution is doing the best they can under the circumstances.

Challenge #12: Read a book by Louis L'Amour.

Here's a link to his page on LT: https://www.librarything.com/author/lamourlouis

>48 SilverWolf28: : And if anyone's of a mind to join in, this little group here in 75 is reading through Chantry, Talon and Kilkenny this year. In August, we're up to The Man From the Broken Hills.

>49 countrylife: I hate to start a series in the middle, so I'll go all the way back to January with Fair Blows the Wind.

>49 countrylife: That group is why I made this challenge! :)

>3 wandering_star: I've never heard of fivebooks but what a treasure trove. Thanks for this challenge.

Challenge #13: Read a book by an author who shares a first name with my parents or their descendants

My father passed away in August of 2005 and my mother in January of 2010. They're always much in my mind this time of year. August 1 would've been my dad's 91st birthday, and August 30 my mom's 89th.

In their memory, I'm issuing a challenge to read a book by an author who shares a first name with them or one of their descendants. The name can be our legal first name or a variation we go by, but not any other nickname for that name. E.g. James, Jim, and Jimmy are allowable, but not Jamie or Jem. Here are your options:

My parents:
- Kelly
- Rena

Their children:
- David
- Mark
- James/Jimmy/Jim
- Susan/Susanna

Their grandchildren:
- Rachel
- Eric
- Angela/Angie
- Nathaniel/Nathan
- Julia/Julie
- Andrew
- Alexander/Alex

Their great-grandchildren:
- Jack
- Elizabeth/Ellie
- Taylor
- Jacob
- Hannah
- Laura
- Tyler
- Layla
- Evan
- Conrad
- Faith

>53 susanna.fraser: Your challenge is a lovely tribute to your parents and their family, Susanna!

>52 lindapanzo: I'm glad you like it!

>15 Citizenjoyce: I have read three New Yorker articles this morning, all really interesting. Including one about procrastination, which I have been procrastinating about reading ;-)

>55 wandering_star: I definitely need to read the procrastination one. I'll get around to it one of these days.

>56 Citizenjoyce: LOL

Lots of my magazines have been piling up lately.

>22 Morphidae: Where are we posting our random numbers? I think there are some words or a link missing from your post ... unless that was on purpose because we couldn't post until today?

>12 Citizenjoyce: That Army Corps of Engineers article is fascinating. I had no idea that, despite its name, it is 98% civilian. I remember hearing the general being interviewed early on and greatly admired his hard charging, can do attitude and thought that, if we had a bunch more like him, we'd get this virus licked in no time.

>54 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! I had some more complicated ideas, but decided to go relatively straightforward.

>58 madhatter22: & all, the challenges will be posted later today or tomorrow!

>59 lindapanzo: If only the people with talent were allowed to employ it where they knew it was most useful.

Challenge #14: Read a book published before 2010

I've had a book on the challenges the past two months, I think I'll finally get it completed this month and I wanted a place to put it. Ta-da!

>22 Morphidae:

The challenges are ready and the thread is up!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/322998

Vote for the shortlist for the not the Booker prize
https://amp.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/aug/03/not-the-booker-prize-lon...

>65 Citizenjoyce: It seems strange that books published this month qualify for this list, but that they require votes within 2 weeks. I find I've read 7, mostly F&SF.

>66 quondame: I guess they expect very fast readers and reviewers. You know how in the movies if an author gives someone their book to read they always manage to finish it in one day?

>67 Citizenjoyce: But if a book isn't actually released until after August 17th? Or are they expecting only votes from people who received advance copies?

>68 quondame: True. I imagine many of their intended voters are those who receive advance copies.

>16 Helenliz:

Helen, are the former longlists on the site? - I may be looking in the wrong place.

If not, can you recommend a quick link?

All challenges have been updated for >22 Morphidae:.

>70 lyzard: they are available through the site, but it's not easy to see a full list.
Go to https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/
From the menu (top left) pick "Previous Winners". Click on a winner and as you scroll down the page you get the shortlist and the longlist for that year.

There is also a list on LT, but I cannot speak to its accuracy or completeness https://www.librarything.com/list/21392/all/Womens-Prize-for-Fiction

The wikipedia page just gives winners and the shortlist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Women%27s_Prize_for_Fiction_winners

>72 Helenliz:

Thanks!

>70 lyzard:
I've been making a List on LT of the Women's Prize/Bailey's longlists, since 2015.

>72 Helenliz: I meant to say that I love your challenge this month. The challenge will be getting to a few of them, but I've got many on my radar

>72 Helenliz: The Orange January/June group has links to the older longlists and threads on the Women's Prize longlists. Are you including the Orange Prize years in your challenge?
https://www.librarything.com/groups/orangejanuaryjuly

>74 raidergirl3:

A TIOLI vouched-for list, brilliant! :D

>75 avatiakh: Yes, as it says in >16 Helenliz:, anyone who has been nominated for any of the previous version of the award is eligible.

I took advantage of the free accounts to start a new project to catalogue award winners. It's taking a lot longer than I thought (it's also quite a soporific job) and it's not easy to find lists for more than just winners. It's a long term project and not at the top of my priority list(s).

So far, I've done the Newberries, Carnegies and Greenaways. If anyone has suggestions - or wants to enter books - drop me a message.

>78 Awards-and-Medals: In the future, I'll probably help out.

Out of curiosity, why this rather than Common Knowledge? (I'm sure you have a good reason.)

Re: >22 Morphidae:

I've made edits to a couple of the challenges to make it easier for those that read only nonfiction to participate.

Thanks Lindapanzo - so far ALL my reads for this month could fit in challenge 5. I'm trying to share them out a bit though!

>81 Helenliz: I'm doing the same. I like to have at least a few in my own challenge but I also like to fit some in others, where I can.

>30 lyzard: I'm assuming books tagged "Afrofuturism" work? I'm looking specifically at Binti: Home and Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor.

>81 Helenliz: Most of mine, save Have His Carcase and the Vanity Fair article. Not that I couldn't make the adjustment, but....

>83 Morphidae:

Yes, I'll allow those or similar.

>63 raidergirl3: I've just finished a translated book that was first published in Japanese in 2005 but the English translation which I read came out in 2011. Does this meet your challenge criteria?

>86 avatiakh: Sure!

>87 raidergirl3: Great and thanks for a quick reply.

>30 lyzard: Liz, for your challenge will you accept Lost Children Archive for "Present"? It was published last year and is contemporary, based on the author's experience in 2014, but I can't find an explicit date in the text itself.

>89 bell7:

Yes, okay; I'm not feeling very hardline at the moment. :)

>90 lyzard: Thanks! :)

TIOLI Question of the month

I need some positive vibes. Would you share something sweet that happened in one of your reads so far this month? Thank you! :D

The Autumn Equinox ceremony in Love, Stargirl.

I read The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters. In it, three sisters, at their mother's behest, undertake a pilgrimage to India to scatter her ashes. Amid the bickering and secrets each sister is hiding they come together as adults in a way that ensures that the bond will last. I can't really give away the funniest thing, as it gives away far too much plot, but it had me both appalled and giggling at the same time.

>92 SqueakyChu: I listened to Alex Trebek’s memoir, and he is just as wonderful and unpretentious as he appears. There were no terrible things to overcome, and even when things didn’t go his way, or might seem troublesome, his positive attitude just glides over it all. Even his terminal cancer diagnosis gets his ‘it’s not so bad’ approach. (Long life, great loves, great job- why be sad?)
The whole book was positive vibes. Reminded me a bit of Cmd Chris Hadfield’s book.

>92 SqueakyChu: I listened to The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman and found it very uplifting. It was set in West Virginia during the Great Depression. There's an 80% unemployment rate. The main character, who is a nurse, is taking care of her former physician colleague who is now nearly catatonic due to tragedies in his life. These people are hard working with love for their friends and an admirable sense of responsibility. They are also very competent. It gives one hope for the human race. I was going to recommend it to my sister, but there is some swearing, and also some disregard for religion, and she doesn't do well with that.

>92 SqueakyChu: The epilogue of The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal almost made me cry happy tears, which is not something I normally do. Since it's an epilogue, explanations would be spoilers, but I'll quote a bit of the protagonist's interactions with her cat just to show the sweetness:

From the inner recesses, a small gray streak bounded across the room, fluffy tail held high. Maggie the Cat billowed as she hurried to me and rubbed against my legs. Her fur was like a thundercloud and, as Kenneth had promised, her eyes were iridescent. She was the most beautiful cat and had a voice like a dying sheep. "Miaaaaah."

I crouched to greet my cat. "Well hello, beautiful."

She bleated again and twined around me.

"Yes, I know. The state of the world is worrisome." I scooped her up. "What should we do?"

"Mah. Mrah. Ma-a-a-aaaah." She twisted on her back in my arms and let me rub the soft fluff of her belly. Unlike every cat I have ever known, she will stretch out to give better access and go limp in my arms.

"That's a very sound plan."

>97 susanna.fraser: Awwww!!

>92 SqueakyChu:

I also have a cat moment (of course I do!).

Most of my reading so far has been quite dark but Maeve Binchy's Tara Road has a small subplot involving a cat that's "not allowed upstairs" and a severely depressed house-sitter who doesn't know.

It turns out to be an excellent arrangement for both of them. :)

>99 lyzard: Cats are so sweet! :D

TIOLI Stats for July 2020

Strange stats for July!

We read a total of 284 books, with 24 of them being shared reads. That makes 8%, the lowest ever percentage of share reads in one month. We accumulated 13 TIOLI points, the lowest ever monthly TIOLI point total, for a YTD total of 275 TIOLI points - which itself is not too shabby.

The most popular books, each read by three challengers, were:
A Rare Benedictine by Ellis Peters
and
Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope

The most popular challenge, with 32 books read, was the one by @FAMeulstee to read a book with 151 pages or more.

The challenge with the most TIOLI points (three) was the one by Citizenjoyce to read a prequel.

Stay tuned for the July TIOLI Awards!

>101 SqueakyChu: Wow, I never get the most points. Thanks.

In July I did have a shared read, which is most unusual for me. Seems everyone else was too surprised to share their reads! >;-)

July 2020 TIOLI Awards

The Perfect World Award goes to @quondame for reading We Are All Welcome Here for dallenbaugh's challenge to read a book with a title you feel is uplifting or cheerful or inspiring. This is such a great aspiration. Let's make this happen in today's world!

The But She Persisted Award goes to @lindapanzo for reading Rigged Rising which was book #47 in a series for raidergirl3's challenge to read a book that is at least number 7 in a series. I didn't even know there were series that ran into numbers so high!

The Artist's Eye Award goes to @quondame for the challenge to read a book with portions of more than one image on the cover separated by straight lines. What an interesting challenge and way of viewing things, especially a book cover!

Congrats to our winners! Feel free to add other awards now if you'd like.

>104 SqueakyChu: Well, thanks for the award, Madeline. The Jessica Beck donut shop cozies are as short and cozy as can be. He (despite the name, the author is male) typically releases about 8 books a year. Since I read #47 in July, I read #48 and #49 in August. I've got #50 in hand. I don't suppose that a TIOLI challenge with "read a book which is at least #50 in a series" would lead to a lot of others joining me.

>105 lindapanzo: I've read Golden in Death by J. D. Robb which is #50. There are also eleven novellas. Shadows in Death, #51, is due out in September.

>106 Morphidae: That's good to know. I think I'm on only #36 in that series.

>104 SqueakyChu: Oh wow. I am honored! Thank you, Madeline!

After much discussion, my husband and I have decided to head out of town to attend a family funeral. I have taken a couple of books off the Wiki as I probably won't get to them now but I hope to be back in time to post my September Challenge. We're not leaving until Thursday so I will update the Wiki with completed reads before I leave.

>109 DeltaQueen50: If you need to post your challenge late for September, that will be okay. Send me a private message to remind me! My mind is all over the place these days. Thanks. Have a safe trip and may you find comfort among those you love. These days are rough.

Did someone recently enter A Question of Belief by Donna Leon for challenge #5? It looks like the previous line was copied, but the user name was not changed.

>111 countrylife: I don’t believe it was me, but I did read it this month and got it from the library, so it qualifies. Will add it and we get even more points.

>111 countrylife: Looking at the page history it was Carrie (@cbl_tn). I looked at her thread and she did read it this month. She also has TIOLI #5 as shared read on the TIOLI meter.

>104 SqueakyChu: Earlier this month, I read #48 and #49 in that series. I'm currently reading #50 and I am feeling a definite vibe that this'll be the last one in the series. We'll see.

>114 lindapanzo: I am feeling a definite vibe that this'll be the last one in the series. We'll see.

:)

Hey! If an author has a good formula to sell books, why not use it?

>115 SqueakyChu: The farther along I went in the book, the more positive I was that this one was the last one. Alas, it's iffy but maybe won't be ended. Or maybe it will. It's hard to say.

Am I the only one having trouble accessing the wiki?

>117 lyzard: I just tried and can’t do it either.

>117 lyzard: The same here, I have reported in the Bug Collectors group.

Wiki is accessable now.

>119 FAMeulstee:, >120 FAMeulstee:

Thanks, Anita!

Someone has (I think) copied my listing of The Yellow Wallpaper in #14 but left my name on it...? :)

>122 lyzard: I'm a reading a novel about Alva Vanderbilt, A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler and someone has just mentioned The Yellow Wallpaper. There were many ways for those rich husbands to keep their women in line.

Housekeeping Day!

Midnight is fast approaching. Please remove from the wiki any book you have not COMPLETED by 12 midnight tonight with the exception of any rolling challenge which you may simply mark DNF Thanks much!