Take It or Leave It Challenge - September 2021 - Page 1
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2021
Join LibraryThing to post.
1SqueakyChu
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 September, 2021, is to
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Read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com
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RULES:
1. You must use the first word of the first name of three letters or more.
2. You may not use an author whose first name is an initial. or whose first name has only two letters.
3. You must use the very last name of an author with more than one surname.
4. You may omit a phrase following a surname, such as III, Jr., MD, PhD.
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Other Fun Stuff (not part of the TIOLI challenge):
1. The September 2021 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 2021 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter
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Supplementary thread --- In the past, this thread was used to talk about the pandemic which had been weighing heavily on each of us. Going forward, this thread is open to all supplementary talk. Should you think you are too far off topic for the main thread, well, just skip over there for a group conversation about almost anything!
Link to our SUPPLEMENTARY THREAD
...logo by cyderry
---------------------------------------------------------------
Your challenge for September, 2021, is to
***************************
Read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com
********************************
RULES:
1. You must use the first word of the first name of three letters or more.
2. You may not use an author whose first name is an initial. or whose first name has only two letters.
3. You must use the very last name of an author with more than one surname.
4. You may omit a phrase following a surname, such as III, Jr., MD, PhD.
---------------------------------------------------------
Other Fun Stuff (not part of the TIOLI challenge):
1. The September 2021 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 2021 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter
----------------------------------------------------------------
Supplementary thread --- In the past, this thread was used to talk about the pandemic which had been weighing heavily on each of us. Going forward, this thread is open to all supplementary talk. Should you think you are too far off topic for the main thread, well, just skip over there for a group conversation about almost anything!
Link to our SUPPLEMENTARY THREAD
2SqueakyChu
Index of Challenges:
Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com - msg #1
2. Read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name - msg #6
3. Read a book where the author’s first and last name start with the same letter - msg #8
4. Read a book where “bestselling author” is included somewhere on the cover - msg #9
5. Read a book written by a relative of a famous person - msg #11
6. Read a book with school, or equivalent in the title or which starts or has significant action in an educational establishment - msg #15
Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book with the word "BOOK" in the title - msg #17
8. Read a book where the authors last name has 7 characters or less - msg #18
9. Read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship - msg #19
10. Read a book where the title of the first chapter is a noun (and nothing else) - msg #24
11. Read a book whose protagonist is in high school, has something to do with the number 12 or 17, or has a character or author named Alex or Alexander - msg #32
12. Read a book where the title implies a journey of some kind - msg #36
Challenges #13-15
13. Read a book for the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge - msg #39
14. Read a book with a shade of red or orange among the First words - msg #63
15. Read a book with a title that has a preposition plus "a" - msg #69
Hold your challenge until the October TIOLI challenge is posted. Thank you!
Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com - msg #1
2. Read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name - msg #6
3. Read a book where the author’s first and last name start with the same letter - msg #8
4. Read a book where “bestselling author” is included somewhere on the cover - msg #9
5. Read a book written by a relative of a famous person - msg #11
6. Read a book with school, or equivalent in the title or which starts or has significant action in an educational establishment - msg #15
Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book with the word "BOOK" in the title - msg #17
8. Read a book where the authors last name has 7 characters or less - msg #18
9. Read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship - msg #19
10. Read a book where the title of the first chapter is a noun (and nothing else) - msg #24
11. Read a book whose protagonist is in high school, has something to do with the number 12 or 17, or has a character or author named Alex or Alexander - msg #32
12. Read a book where the title implies a journey of some kind - msg #36
Challenges #13-15
13. Read a book for the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge - msg #39
14. Read a book with a shade of red or orange among the First words - msg #63
15. Read a book with a title that has a preposition plus "a" - msg #69
Hold your challenge until the October TIOLI challenge is posted. Thank you!
3lindapanzo
So frustrating. I see the Sept TIOLI is up but it's not allowing me access to the challenges wiki to post a challenge or add a book to the first challenge. Grrrr.
4SqueakyChu
I don't know what's wrong! I'll have to look into this and try to fix it in some way. I'm not able to get into the August wiki either. I contacted Lucy for help.
5SqueakyChu
Feel free to list your new challenges here, but without a challenge number. When the wiki is back working, we can then add the challenge numbers. They do not need to be in any sort of order here on this thread.
6lindapanzo
I got into the wiki.
Challenge #2: Read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name
This can be embedded. So an author whose name is Allison would be fine (as long as it was spelled that way and not Alison) or a title with the word "call" in it would be fine.
Challenge #2: Read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name
This can be embedded. So an author whose name is Allison would be fine (as long as it was spelled that way and not Alison) or a title with the word "call" in it would be fine.
7SqueakyChu
It’s working now! Thank you, Lucy!
8DeltaQueen50
Challenge #3: Read a book where the author’s first and last name start with the same letter
If the author uses more than one name it must be the first and last names that match for example – Barbara Taylor Bradford would work, while William Kent Krueger would not.
If the author uses more than one name it must be the first and last names that match for example – Barbara Taylor Bradford would work, while William Kent Krueger would not.
9dallenbaugh
Challenge #4: Read a book where “bestselling author” is included somewhere on the cover
10dallenbaugh
>2 SqueakyChu: Could you fix my entry under your challenge? It may have something to do with your entry before mine. Thanks.
11Citizenjoyce
Wow, aren't we early?
Challenge #5: Read a book written by a relative of a famous person, state the relationship
Because I seem to be unable to stop reading books about trump, I'll be reading The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal by Mary L. Trump.
Challenge #5: Read a book written by a relative of a famous person, state the relationship
Because I seem to be unable to stop reading books about trump, I'll be reading The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal by Mary L. Trump.
12lindapanzo
>9 dallenbaugh: Oh, since I haven't gotten to the brand new Louise Penny, I'll have to check and see whether "bestselling author" appears on the cover of her new book.
Yay, it does. #1 New York Times Bestselling Author does appear at the top of the cover.
Yay, it does. #1 New York Times Bestselling Author does appear at the top of the cover.
13dallenbaugh
>12 lindapanzo: Great! I'm hoping to read that also but I'm 23rd on the hold list.
14SqueakyChu
>10 dallenbaugh: Fixed.
15quondame
Challenge #6: Read a book with school, or equivalent in the title or which starts or has significant action in an educational establishment
School, academy, college, institute, university, seminary.
If someone is looking out the window waiting for class to end, that's a classic as is getting sent to boarding school.
School, academy, college, institute, university, seminary.
If someone is looking out the window waiting for class to end, that's a classic as is getting sent to boarding school.
16Citizenjoyce
I'm liking these challenges so far. My planned reads:
Challenge #1: Read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com - started by SqueakyChu
✔ The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates (3.5)
✔The Woman behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey (5)
Challenge #2: Read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name - started by lindapanzo
*✔All In: An Autobiography - Billie Jean King (4)
✔The Queen of Nothing - Holly Black (4)
Challenge #3: Read a book where the author’s first and last name start with the same letter - started by DeltaQueen
*✔The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live - Danielle Dreilinger (4)
Challenge #4: Read a book where “bestselling author” is included somewhere on the cover - started by dallenbaugh
*✔The Survivors - Jane Harper (3.5)
Challenge #5: Read a book written by a relative of a famous person, state the relationship - started by Citizenjoyce
✔The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal - Mary L. Trump (4)
Challenge #6: Read a book with school, or equivalent in the title or which starts or has significant action in an educational establishment - started by quondame
✔Breathe: A Novel - Joyce Carol Oates (3.5)
✔The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (3.5)
Challenge #7: Read a book with the word "BOOK" in the title - started by helenliz
The Book Charmer - Karen Hawkins ABANDONED
✔The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border - Rosayra Pablo Cruz (4)
Challenge #8: Read a book where the authors last name has 7 characters or less - started by FAMeulstee
✔Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke (4)
Challenge #9: Read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship - started by lyzard
✔Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell (3.5)
*✔The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai (5)
*✔A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (4.5)
✔Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein (4)
Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton
Challenge #10: Read a book where the title of the first chapter is a noun (and nothing else) - started by wandering_star
✔Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel (4)
*✔Vesper Flights - Helen Macdonald (4)
Challenge #11: Read a book whose protagonist is in high school, has something to do with the number 12 or 17, or has a character or author named Alex or Alexander - started by susanna.fraser
The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World - Amanda Little
Girlhood - Melissa Febos ABANDONED
✔The Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American Town by Brian Alexander (5)
Challenge #12: Read a book where the title implies a journey of some kind - started by PawsforThought
*✔Busman's Honeymoon - Dorothy L- Sayers (3.5)
Challenge #13: Read a book for the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge - started by raidergirl3
✔Dark Matter - Blake Crouch (3.5)
The Quiet Girl - S. F. Kosa ABANDONED
Challenge #14: Read a book with a shade of red or orange among the First words - started by paulstalder
*✔These Are The Names - Tommy Wieringa (3.5)
Challenge #15: Read a book with a title that has a preposition plus "a" - started by Morphidae
*✔Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story - Debbie Tung (4)
(The Galaxy, and the Ground Within - Becky Chambers)
Challenge #1: Read a book, in which the last three letters of the author's first name or last name, spelled backwards, form a real word which can be found in dictionary.com - started by SqueakyChu
✔ The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates (3.5)
✔The Woman behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey (5)
Challenge #2: Read a book with the word "all" or "nothing" in the title or author's name - started by lindapanzo
*✔All In: An Autobiography - Billie Jean King (4)
✔The Queen of Nothing - Holly Black (4)
Challenge #3: Read a book where the author’s first and last name start with the same letter - started by DeltaQueen
*✔The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live - Danielle Dreilinger (4)
Challenge #4: Read a book where “bestselling author” is included somewhere on the cover - started by dallenbaugh
*✔The Survivors - Jane Harper (3.5)
Challenge #5: Read a book written by a relative of a famous person, state the relationship - started by Citizenjoyce
✔The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal - Mary L. Trump (4)
Challenge #6: Read a book with school, or equivalent in the title or which starts or has significant action in an educational establishment - started by quondame
✔Breathe: A Novel - Joyce Carol Oates (3.5)
✔The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (3.5)
Challenge #7: Read a book with the word "BOOK" in the title - started by helenliz
The Book Charmer - Karen Hawkins ABANDONED
✔The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border - Rosayra Pablo Cruz (4)
Challenge #8: Read a book where the authors last name has 7 characters or less - started by FAMeulstee
✔Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke (4)
Challenge #9: Read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship - started by lyzard
✔Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism - Amanda Montell (3.5)
*✔The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai (5)
*✔A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (4.5)
✔Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein (4)
Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton
Challenge #10: Read a book where the title of the first chapter is a noun (and nothing else) - started by wandering_star
✔Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel (4)
*✔Vesper Flights - Helen Macdonald (4)
Challenge #11: Read a book whose protagonist is in high school, has something to do with the number 12 or 17, or has a character or author named Alex or Alexander - started by susanna.fraser
The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World - Amanda Little
Girlhood - Melissa Febos ABANDONED
✔The Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American Town by Brian Alexander (5)
Challenge #12: Read a book where the title implies a journey of some kind - started by PawsforThought
*✔Busman's Honeymoon - Dorothy L- Sayers (3.5)
Challenge #13: Read a book for the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge - started by raidergirl3
✔Dark Matter - Blake Crouch (3.5)
The Quiet Girl - S. F. Kosa ABANDONED
Challenge #14: Read a book with a shade of red or orange among the First words - started by paulstalder
*✔These Are The Names - Tommy Wieringa (3.5)
Challenge #15: Read a book with a title that has a preposition plus "a" - started by Morphidae
*✔Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story - Debbie Tung (4)
(The Galaxy, and the Ground Within - Becky Chambers)
17Helenliz
Challenge #7: Read a book with the word "BOOK" in the title
Fairly straightforward, I should think.
Embedded words are allowed
The word "book" may be in the main title or subtitle
Which means I now have some incentive to finish the mess of a book I'm currently reading...
Fairly straightforward, I should think.
Embedded words are allowed
The word "book" may be in the main title or subtitle
Which means I now have some incentive to finish the mess of a book I'm currently reading...
18FAMeulstee
Challenge #8: Read a book where the authors last name has 7 characters or less
The wiki is down again, I will add my challenge as soon as it is possible again.
My challenge is on the wiki now.
My challenge is on the wiki now.
19lyzard
Challenge #9:
Read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship
I will accept general terms such as "religion" or "faith"; denominations of faith; places of worship; or anything else you can justify---which is to say, feel free to make a case for either non-mainstream religion or a religion that appears in a work of SF or fantasy. :)
Read a book with something in the title referring to religious worship
I will accept general terms such as "religion" or "faith"; denominations of faith; places of worship; or anything else you can justify---which is to say, feel free to make a case for either non-mainstream religion or a religion that appears in a work of SF or fantasy. :)
20quondame
>19 lyzard: Ah, the group read of Salem Chapel.
How hard do I have to work for Grove to be a possibility?
How hard do I have to work for Grove to be a possibility?
21lyzard
>20 quondame:
Which I'm now frantically posting reminders for around the place, yes. :D
Wellll...how about you add a wiki note indicating an associated faith or culture?
Which I'm now frantically posting reminders for around the place, yes. :D
Wellll...how about you add a wiki note indicating an associated faith or culture?
22quondame
>21 lyzard: Sacred Grove
I grew up with a copy of The Golden Bough on a living room book shelf. All 12 volumes of it.
I grew up with a copy of The Golden Bough on a living room book shelf. All 12 volumes of it.
24wandering_star
Challenge #10: Read a book where the title of the first chapter is a noun (and nothing else)
NB: common nouns, ie no proper nouns/names.
OK for the title to be a multi-word noun (eg 'Emperor Penguin'), but there shouldn't be any words which aren't part of the noun (eg 'Day One' would not qualify).
NB: common nouns, ie no proper nouns/names.
OK for the title to be a multi-word noun (eg 'Emperor Penguin'), but there shouldn't be any words which aren't part of the noun (eg 'Day One' would not qualify).
25quondame
>24 wandering_star: Does a name qualify?
26PawsforThought
>19 lyzard: I have two books in my planned reading pile that could work for this depending on how you interpret words.
Death in Ecstacy - religious ecstasy (that is what the title is referencing)
Diaboliad - devil (either just believing he exists or actual devil worship)
What say you? I can always shoe-horn them in somewhere else is it's not okay with you.
Death in Ecstacy - religious ecstasy (that is what the title is referencing)
Diaboliad - devil (either just believing he exists or actual devil worship)
What say you? I can always shoe-horn them in somewhere else is it's not okay with you.
27wandering_star
>25 quondame: sorry, no proper nouns.
28Citizenjoyce
>27 wandering_star: Oh shoot, so no place names?
30wandering_star
>28 Citizenjoyce: That's right, sorry!
31lyzard
>26 PawsforThought:, >29 Citizenjoyce:
Goodness, this is becoming more complicated than I anticipated!
Neither of those are really what I had in mind, Paws, sorry; but I guess I can allow "cult".
Goodness, this is becoming more complicated than I anticipated!
Neither of those are really what I had in mind, Paws, sorry; but I guess I can allow "cult".
32susanna.fraser
Challenge #11: Read a book whose protagonist is in high school, has something to do with the number 12 or 17, or has a character or author named Alex or Alexander
This is in honor of my 17-year-old son Alex, who starts his senior year in high school (aka 12th grade) on September 1. Feel free to get creative with the relationship to 12 or 17--it could be the 12th book in a series, a book with 17 chapters, etc.
This is in honor of my 17-year-old son Alex, who starts his senior year in high school (aka 12th grade) on September 1. Feel free to get creative with the relationship to 12 or 17--it could be the 12th book in a series, a book with 17 chapters, etc.
33DeltaQueen50
>32 susanna.fraser: Susanna, would the fact that there are 12 letters in the author's name qualify the book?
35DeltaQueen50
>34 susanna.fraser: Excellent!
36PawsforThought
Challenge #12: Read a book where the title implies a journey of some kind
This journey can be of any kind, through space or time or a journey of the mind. You decide, I'll allow for nearly anything. It does have to be implied in the title though, a book about a journey that isn't implied in the title is not allowed. That said, the book itself doesn't actually have to *be about* a journey, it's just the title.
I'll be reading Dorothy L. Sayers Busman's Honeymoon and Enid Blyton's Five Go to Smuggler's Top and hopefully also Mary Norton's The Borrowers Afield.
Other suggestions:
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Three Men in a Boat—To Say Nothing of the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome
And many more.
This journey can be of any kind, through space or time or a journey of the mind. You decide, I'll allow for nearly anything. It does have to be implied in the title though, a book about a journey that isn't implied in the title is not allowed. That said, the book itself doesn't actually have to *be about* a journey, it's just the title.
I'll be reading Dorothy L. Sayers Busman's Honeymoon and Enid Blyton's Five Go to Smuggler's Top and hopefully also Mary Norton's The Borrowers Afield.
Other suggestions:
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Three Men in a Boat—To Say Nothing of the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome
And many more.
37wandering_star
>36 PawsforThought: Ooh I may join you in Busman's Honeymoon!
38PawsforThought
>37 wandering_star: Please do! I'd love to have a joint read.
39raidergirl3
Challenge #13: Read a book for the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge
There is an online book challenge that has been going for sixteen years called the Readers Imbibing Peril (RIP) challenge. Back in my blogging days, it was a huge fall challenge. It's still around, now more on Instagram, but the goal is to read books that are:
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Horror, Gothic, Dark Fantasy.
So my challenge is to read a book that fits this reading challenge. Look for a book tagged with one of those six topics.
There is an online book challenge that has been going for sixteen years called the Readers Imbibing Peril (RIP) challenge. Back in my blogging days, it was a huge fall challenge. It's still around, now more on Instagram, but the goal is to read books that are:
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Horror, Gothic, Dark Fantasy.
So my challenge is to read a book that fits this reading challenge. Look for a book tagged with one of those six topics.
40PawsforThought
>39 raidergirl3: Thank you! I was beginning to fear that I wouldn't have a TIOLI place for most of my planned reads (hence why I made my own challenge), but you've saved me!
41FAMeulstee
>24 wandering_star: If a book starts with an introduction, can "introduction" be used, or the first real chapter after that?
42wandering_star
>41 FAMeulstee: Fair question; I have considered it but I think that 'Introduction' is not quite in the spirit of the challenge unfortunately.
43FAMeulstee
>42 wandering_star: So then I can use the name of the first "real" chapter, after the introduction? Or I should look for the next book, no problem ;-)
ETA: In the table of content Introduction is in italics, the chapters in normal print.
ETA: In the table of content Introduction is in italics, the chapters in normal print.
44wandering_star
>43 FAMeulstee: Yes, name of first 'real' chapter is good!
45raidergirl3
>40 PawsforThought: you’re welcome! And thanks to your challenge I found a home for Crossroads which I just got from the library
46PawsforThought
>45 raidergirl3: Oh, good!
47Helenliz
I know we usually want shared reads. BUT don't put yourself through reading The Absolute Book just for a shared read. Not recommended...
48lindapanzo
>47 Helenliz: That's good to know. Last month, I read a book that sounded interesting as a shared read. I thought it was a dud. I'm thinking that, if I disliked a book (for me, that means less than 3 stars), I might indicate that on the wiki.
49Citizenjoyce
>47 Helenliz: Thanks for saying that. I started the book but it didn't take long to un-recommend itself.
51Helenliz
>49 Citizenjoyce: Oh good. I sometimes wonder if it is me missing something. Not in this case, it seems.
>50 quondame: Good move.
>48 lindapanzo: Some books do that, look good in the blurb and turn out to not live up to expectations. This would be one of them, imo.
>50 quondame: Good move.
>48 lindapanzo: Some books do that, look good in the blurb and turn out to not live up to expectations. This would be one of them, imo.
52elkiedee
My reading list for this month
FINISHED
Ruth Thomas, The Home Corner - #6
Ruth Eastham, The Messenger Bird - #8
Katherine Heiny, 561 (short story) - #8
Marika Cobbold, On Hampstead Heath - #8
Esther Freud, I Couldn't Love You More - #5
Sally Rooney, Two Stories - #2 (library audiobook of two short stories)
Nathan Harris, The Sweetness of Water - #1
Hermione Lee, Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life - #1
Liliian Li, Number One Chinese Restaurant - #3 (shared read)
Pat Barker, The Women of Troy - #1
Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers - #9 (shared read)
Andrea Levy, Six Stories and an Essay - #8
Patricia Engel, Infinite Country - #6
Colson Whitehead, Harlem Shuffle - #5 (shared read)
Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown - #8
Michelle Magorian, Back Home - #11
CURRENT READING - TO CARRY FORWARD TO OCTOBER
Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway
Rebecca Pawel, Law of Return
Maggie Shipstead, Great Circle
Christopher Duggan, Fascist Voices
Anne Bogel, I'd Rather Be Reading
Frances Brody, A Snapshot of Murder
Willy Vlautin, The Night Always Comes
Sinead Gleeson, The Glass Shore
Taylor Jenkins Reid, Malibu Rising
Philip Pullman, Lyra's Oxford
NEXT UP:
Kaherine Rundell, Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise
FINISHED
Ruth Thomas, The Home Corner - #6
Ruth Eastham, The Messenger Bird - #8
Katherine Heiny, 561 (short story) - #8
Marika Cobbold, On Hampstead Heath - #8
Esther Freud, I Couldn't Love You More - #5
Sally Rooney, Two Stories - #2 (library audiobook of two short stories)
Nathan Harris, The Sweetness of Water - #1
Hermione Lee, Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life - #1
Liliian Li, Number One Chinese Restaurant - #3 (shared read)
Pat Barker, The Women of Troy - #1
Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers - #9 (shared read)
Andrea Levy, Six Stories and an Essay - #8
Patricia Engel, Infinite Country - #6
Colson Whitehead, Harlem Shuffle - #5 (shared read)
Charles Yu, Interior Chinatown - #8
Michelle Magorian, Back Home - #11
CURRENT READING - TO CARRY FORWARD TO OCTOBER
Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway
Rebecca Pawel, Law of Return
Maggie Shipstead, Great Circle
Christopher Duggan, Fascist Voices
Anne Bogel, I'd Rather Be Reading
Frances Brody, A Snapshot of Murder
Willy Vlautin, The Night Always Comes
Sinead Gleeson, The Glass Shore
Taylor Jenkins Reid, Malibu Rising
Philip Pullman, Lyra's Oxford
NEXT UP:
Kaherine Rundell, Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise
53lindapanzo
I rarely read fiction, except for mysteries, but I'm absolutely enjoying my current non-mystery novel, The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. Of the 8 books on the reading list in the book, which mean different things to the different characters, I've read only two, To Kill a Mockingbird and Pride and Prejudice. But now I want to read Rebecca and, while it seems to be quite a painful, sad read, maybe The Kite Runner. too.
54Citizenjoyce
>53 lindapanzo: It's funny how an analysis of a book will make you want to read it. When I read Reading Lolita In Tehran I wanted to reread all those books. She makes Lolita sound wonderful, but I can't share her enthusiasm. Madeline and other reviewers have made me think maybe I should tackle Moby Dick, but I'm pretty sure the urge will pass. It always does.
55lindapanzo
>54 Citizenjoyce: I suspect that the same thing will happen to me. I feel now like I want to read them all but, as other books jump out at me, I'll probably read what I usually read.
56SqueakyChu
>53 lindapanzo: I loved The Kite Runner when I read it as a newly published book quite a few years ago. Other books by Hosseini, though I only read through one more, didn’t have the same appeal to me.
>54 Citizenjoyce: I love Moby Dick but I have yet to read through it. Each time I start from the beginning, but it is a chunkster, and one I’m not sure I’ll ever get to the end of. I know the ending so that doesn’t matter. There is something about the way it’s written that appeals to me very much. I bought my own copy of it because of its length and because I wanted a version that was not annotated. It sits in my bedroom waiting to be started for a third time.
>54 Citizenjoyce: I love Moby Dick but I have yet to read through it. Each time I start from the beginning, but it is a chunkster, and one I’m not sure I’ll ever get to the end of. I know the ending so that doesn’t matter. There is something about the way it’s written that appeals to me very much. I bought my own copy of it because of its length and because I wanted a version that was not annotated. It sits in my bedroom waiting to be started for a third time.
57Carmenere
>11 Citizenjoyce: I'm wondering just how famous the person needs to be to qualify as famous for your Challenge 5. I'm thinking of a book by Colson Whitehead who is married to Julie Barer a literary agent for fiction writers like Paula McLain The Paris Wife. Is that acceptable?
58Citizenjoyce
>57 Carmenere: Funny to think of Colson Whitehead as a relative of a famous person. It looks like Paula McLain has written quite a few books including the bestseller, so I'm going to say Barer is famous in her own circle.
59PawsforThought
>58 Citizenjoyce: Are we counting spouses as "relatives"? It never occurred to me.
60Carmenere
>58 Citizenjoyce: I know, right? Thanks! I'm so excited to read Whitehead's ARC of Harlem Shuffle and was hoping to squeeze it in to one of the first 6 challenges. Maybe this month will finally be the month I get a sweeplet.
61Helenliz
OK, after my last depressive, post this one you all HAVE to read - if I could work out where to put it! A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking was the perfect antidote to my previous read.
62elkiedee
>61 Helenliz: Challenge 13? Readers Imbibing Peril that is. I know nothing about the book and whether it can be considered "dark fantasy" but "defensive" baking suggests an element of peril.
I know you've posted a challenge but some of us haven't done so yet, and maybe another challenge on content or some kind of rolling challenge would be good. (There are a few about authors or about titles).
I know you've posted a challenge but some of us haven't done so yet, and maybe another challenge on content or some kind of rolling challenge would be good. (There are a few about authors or about titles).
63paulstalder
Challenge #14: Read a book with a shade of red or orange among the First words
When sorting out my birtday presents, a received 'scarlet and orange hothouse roses'. So, looking at these colours I thought of finding which have such colours in their first sentence.
Any word that is listed among these wikipedia sites are fine, no embedded words, if hyphenated or apostrophed - it must match the spelling in these lists. If it says 'Tiger's eye' -> 'eye' or 'Tiger's' would be valid (but not eyes or tigers)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_red all the words which appear in this list: 3 Variations of red
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange all the words which appear in this list: 6 Other variations of orange
List the relevant phrase of the First Words and the colour in the wiki.
# A pocket full of rye (It was Miss Somers's turn to make the tea. -- red: Tea rose)
When sorting out my birtday presents, a received 'scarlet and orange hothouse roses'. So, looking at these colours I thought of finding which have such colours in their first sentence.
Any word that is listed among these wikipedia sites are fine, no embedded words, if hyphenated or apostrophed - it must match the spelling in these lists. If it says 'Tiger's eye' -> 'eye' or 'Tiger's' would be valid (but not eyes or tigers)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_red all the words which appear in this list: 3 Variations of red
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shades_of_orange all the words which appear in this list: 6 Other variations of orange
List the relevant phrase of the First Words and the colour in the wiki.
# A pocket full of rye (It was Miss Somers's turn to make the tea. -- red: Tea rose)
64Citizenjoyce
>61 Helenliz: You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I've requested A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking based on the title alone. It sounds great.
65Citizenjoyce
>59 PawsforThought: Sure spouses are relatives. It never occurred to me that they wouldn't be, but now I see your hesitation. The relative doesn't have to be a blood relative. An adopted child or sibling is still a relative, marriage makes relatives also.
66PawsforThought
>65 Citizenjoyce: That’s great. I wouldn’t have used the term relative for spouses (family, but not relative) because I think of relatives as people you’re born (or adopted) into the family of.
But this means I can put two Neil Gaiman books into your challenge because he’s married to Amanda Palmer. :)
But this means I can put two Neil Gaiman books into your challenge because he’s married to Amanda Palmer. :)
67Citizenjoyce
>66 PawsforThought: That makes perfect sense. I guess I'm just not precise.
68lyzard
>11 Citizenjoyce:, >66 PawsforThought:
While we're on the subject, how close does the relationship need to be? Immediate connection, or is over generations okay?
While we're on the subject, how close does the relationship need to be? Immediate connection, or is over generations okay?
69Morphidae
Challenge #15: Read a book with a title that has a preposition plus "a"
Please use the "list of 100 most important prepositions in English":
https://englishstudyonline.org/common-prepositions/
It's in both text and graphic form.
Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
Please use the "list of 100 most important prepositions in English":
https://englishstudyonline.org/common-prepositions/
It's in both text and graphic form.
Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
70susanna.fraser
>61 Helenliz: I adore T Kingfisher's books in general, and A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is one of my favorites.
71Citizenjoyce
>68 lyzard: Any relationship is fine. I was always told that Sam Houston was my great, great whatever uncle. I have no idea if that's true, but if it were, I would count.
72Helenliz
>64 Citizenjoyce: I admit that I couldn't resist the title either!
>70 susanna.fraser: If the rest are anything like this, I can see why.
I have put it in challenge 13, thanks elkiedee. It's certainly fantasy and there most definitely peril involved.
>70 susanna.fraser: If the rest are anything like this, I can see why.
I have put it in challenge 13, thanks elkiedee. It's certainly fantasy and there most definitely peril involved.
73lyzard
>71 Citizenjoyce:
Excellent, thank you! (I'm contemplating a Joanna Trollope...though I guess it works with Anthony too!)
Excellent, thank you! (I'm contemplating a Joanna Trollope...though I guess it works with Anthony too!)
74avatiakh
>47 Helenliz: >49 Citizenjoyce: >50 quondame: I read The Absolute Book last year and also would not recommend it. It was a difficult read that didn't draw me in and I didn't care for any of the characters. I bought the book so that meant I needed to read it.
75Helenliz
>74 avatiakh: so glad it's not just me. It was my book subscription, so I felt a similar compulsion to finish it.
77DeltaQueen50
>76 lyzard: Sorry, Liz, I am going to have to say no to that one. If his first initital matched the last name then it would work, otherwise no.
79Citizenjoyce
>24 wandering_star: So prairie spirit is ok?
80elkiedee
>9 dallenbaugh: The UK cover of The Women of Troy says "by author of the bestselling The Silence of the Girls - is this ok or does it have to be "bestselling author"?
81dallenbaugh
>80 elkiedee: I was really looking for "bestselling author". I hope you can find another place for it.
82elkiedee
>81 dallenbaugh: Thanks. I can find another place, and I am reading a book which actually does fit your challenge as worded (though I don't know whether I will finish it this month).
83wandering_star
>79 Citizenjoyce: sorry I didn't see this question before. I have never heard of a prairie spirit but then we don't have prairies in the UK! Is it a known thing - or is prairie working as an adjective here?
84Citizenjoyce
>83 wandering_star: Sorry, I meant pioneer spirit. Pioneer spirit definition: a willingness to endure hardship in order to explore new places or try out new things.
85wandering_star
>84 Citizenjoyce: Ah yes, that sounds all right
86lyzard
Well...I spent an hour today going through my books and I don't seem to have anything that starts with a shade of red or orange...
OTOH it turns out I have a ridiculous number of books that start with someone dealing with terrible weather or being reminded how cold it gets somewhere. Future challenge ahoy! :D
OTOH it turns out I have a ridiculous number of books that start with someone dealing with terrible weather or being reminded how cold it gets somewhere. Future challenge ahoy! :D
87elkiedee
>86 lyzard: I read a book which had quite a bit about the colour red - The Women of Troy - but not in the first paragraph....
I won't be at all surprised if you or I suddenly find lots of books fitting that challenge next month.
I won't be at all surprised if you or I suddenly find lots of books fitting that challenge next month.
88Citizenjoyce
>87 elkiedee: Oh yes, as if we sent a call out into the universe, books fitting a challenge are sure to show up the month after the challenge.
90jeanned
>87 elkiedee: >88 Citizenjoyce: >89 lyzard: And all this time I've been thinking it only happens to me. Someone creative could make a challenge that tries to redress this phenomenon.
91SqueakyChu
TIOLI Question of the Month
Give me a quote from one of the books you read this month. Why did you pick this quote over all others? From which book was it?
Give me a quote from one of the books you read this month. Why did you pick this quote over all others? From which book was it?
92Carmenere
>91 SqueakyChu: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead contains many quotable quotes. Here's just a couple.....
"Entrepreneur?"
"That's just a hustler who pays taxes."
-----------
"Urban blight" was right; it hopped from place to place like bed bugs.
-------------
"Only thing cooking in there these days was misery."
------------
I'm savouring this novel, it is so good.
"Entrepreneur?"
"That's just a hustler who pays taxes."
-----------
"Urban blight" was right; it hopped from place to place like bed bugs.
-------------
"Only thing cooking in there these days was misery."
------------
I'm savouring this novel, it is so good.
93SqueakyChu
>92 Carmenere: The best books have so many things to write down that it takes me twice as long to read them. I usually add them to Quotations in LT's Common Knowledge. I used to put them on my PC, but my list got too long! :D
94AnneDC
>91 SqueakyChu: I rarely remember to pay attention to quotes when I read, but since you asked, I read today with that in mind. And found this:
"I had become a master at thinking about working without actually doing it." (from Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi)
I picked it because it exactly sums up my own behavior over the last several months.
"I had become a master at thinking about working without actually doing it." (from Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi)
I picked it because it exactly sums up my own behavior over the last several months.
95FAMeulstee
>94 AnneDC: Reading the same book, and remember that quote (slightly different in Dutch).
I think we all have times like that :-)
I think we all have times like that :-)
97SqueakyChu
>96 AnneDC: Yay for Anne!
98Citizenjoyce
>96 AnneDC: Congratulations.
99FAMeulstee
>96 AnneDC: Congratulations!
100Helenliz
>96 AnneDC: well done!
101susanna.fraser
>96 AnneDC: Nice!
102SqueakyChu
TIOLI Stats for August, 2021
In August, 2021, together we read a total of 289 books for 16 challenges, with 43 or 15% being shared reads. We accumulated 24 TIOLI points for an August YTD total of 188 TIOLI points.
The most popular book was A Psalm For the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers which was read by four challengers.
The most popular challenge, with 63 books read, was the one by FAMeulstee to read a book published between 1930 and 2021.
The challenge with the most TIOLI points (five) was the by susanna.fraser to read a book where the author's name contains at least two common nouns.
In August, 2021, together we read a total of 289 books for 16 challenges, with 43 or 15% being shared reads. We accumulated 24 TIOLI points for an August YTD total of 188 TIOLI points.
The most popular book was A Psalm For the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers which was read by four challengers.
The most popular challenge, with 63 books read, was the one by FAMeulstee to read a book published between 1930 and 2021.
The challenge with the most TIOLI points (five) was the by susanna.fraser to read a book where the author's name contains at least two common nouns.
103Carmenere
>93 SqueakyChu: Good idea, Madeline. I put quotes in my notebook as I'm reading but eventually forget about them.
104SqueakyChu
TIOLI Awards for August, 2021
The Lotsa Nouns Award goes to @elkiedee for reading Why Marianne Faithfull Matters by Tanya Pearson for susanna.fraser's challenge to read a book where the author's name contains at least two common nouns. Our challenger found six nouns in the author's name.
The Master Counter Award goes to @FAMeulstee for reading De Cock en moord op bestelling for raidergirl3's challenge to read a book which is tenth or higher in a series. The book our challenger read was #57 in the series! I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to read so many books in the same series. I hope it's a good series!
The Vocabulary Builder Award goes to @Citizenjoyce for reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley for lindapanzo's challenge to read a book with an occupation in the title or author's name. I never even knew that there was such an occupation as a foley artist. My thanks to this challenger for telling us about it on the wiki.
The Thirst Quencher Award goes to @paulstalder for the challenge to read a book which has the name of a mineral water well among the first words. I found this to be an interesting and...challenging...challenge...as I guess it's supposed to be!
Congrats to the Award winners! Feel free at this time to add awards of your own.
The Lotsa Nouns Award goes to @elkiedee for reading Why Marianne Faithfull Matters by Tanya Pearson for susanna.fraser's challenge to read a book where the author's name contains at least two common nouns. Our challenger found six nouns in the author's name.
The Master Counter Award goes to @FAMeulstee for reading De Cock en moord op bestelling for raidergirl3's challenge to read a book which is tenth or higher in a series. The book our challenger read was #57 in the series! I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to read so many books in the same series. I hope it's a good series!
The Vocabulary Builder Award goes to @Citizenjoyce for reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley for lindapanzo's challenge to read a book with an occupation in the title or author's name. I never even knew that there was such an occupation as a foley artist. My thanks to this challenger for telling us about it on the wiki.
The Thirst Quencher Award goes to @paulstalder for the challenge to read a book which has the name of a mineral water well among the first words. I found this to be an interesting and...challenging...challenge...as I guess it's supposed to be!
Congrats to the Award winners! Feel free at this time to add awards of your own.
105Citizenjoyce
>104 SqueakyChu: As a nurse, you know we use the term foley entirely differently. We generally use it to refer to a tube used to drain urine from the bladder. I'm always amused when I read credits after movies to see who is the foley artist.
106SqueakyChu
>105 Citizenjoyce:. Yeah. I was going to refer to the Foley catheter, but I figured most folks would not know what that is.
107FAMeulstee
>104 SqueakyChu: Thank you, Madeline. These books are cosy police procedurals set in Amsterdam. The author wrote 70 books in the series. A light and predictable read, that I sometimes enjoy between more heavy reads.
108lyzard
>104 SqueakyChu:, >107 FAMeulstee:
Ha! - I just read the first in a 60-book series, but Anita still wins! :D
Ha! - I just read the first in a 60-book series, but Anita still wins! :D
109lindapanzo
>108 lyzard: yes she does. Last month, I read the newest 53rd installment in my ultra cozy mystery series. He (despite the author's pen name) used to publish one per month but now, only 4 per year.
110Morphidae
>109 lindapanzo: Well, I'm clueless. Unless you didn't find a challenge for it?
111lindapanzo
>110 Morphidae: No, just thinking that a 57th book in a series is astounding, even more so than the 53rd book in my series.
Yes, this one fit under the bestselling author challenge. I actually read it early in September.
Yes, this one fit under the bestselling author challenge. I actually read it early in September.
112SqueakyChu
Housekeeping Day!
You know the drill. Please remove from the wiki any book you do not finish by 12 midnight tonight...except for any rolling challenge which you may just mark DNF. Thanks!
You know the drill. Please remove from the wiki any book you do not finish by 12 midnight tonight...except for any rolling challenge which you may just mark DNF. Thanks!
