Take It or Leave It Challenge - April 2025

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 TIOLI challenge for April, 2025 is to...

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Read a book whose title/subtitle includes any of these three-letter combinations: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC
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Rules
1. This is not a rolling challenge so you may list your book(s) in their usual alphabetical order.
2. You are looking for embedded three-letter combinations which are allowed to occur in or across more than one title word.
3. Obviously, titles with month names would work, but also try to find these letters in other words as well.
4. Have fun!

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Other Stuff (not part of the TIOLI challenge):
1. @FAMeulstee's 2025 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter
2. @FAMeulstee's Our TIOLI Sweeps
3. Morphidae's List of Previous TIOLI Challenges (2010-2016) - A reference (Do a control-F scan) to avoid repeating a previous challenge. If your idea is similar to a previous challenge, make it unique by adding a new "twist" to it. (Exception: Any challenge previously entered by FAMeulstee)
4. The April 2025 TIOLI Meter - Optional page on which you may track your TIOLI reading. Not competitive--- just fun!

Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book whose title/subtitle includes any of these three-letter combinations: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC - msg #1
2. Read a book with the word/name 'Faith' in either the book's title or the author's name - msg #3
3. Read a book that was a winner or finalist for the Nebula Awards between 2001 and 2025 - msg #4
4. Read a book with a word from the name of a cereal advertising mascot in the title or author's name - msg #5
5. Read a book whose title includes one of the 5 “Ws” – Who, What, When, Where and Why - msg #6
6. Read a book whose title or author's name includes a word with a "y" somewhere in the middle of the word - msg #7

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) set before 1000 CE - msg #8
8. Read a book about nature - msg #9
9. Read a book that names a flower or garden in the fourth chapter - msg #10
10. Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize - msg #14
11. Read a book with the work "book" in the title or images of books (plural) on the cover - msg #27
12. Read a book with a supernatural creature in the title or author's name - msg #33

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book written by a Canadian Author published after 2010 - msg #30
14. Read a book written by Jane Austen, about Austen, or a literary homage - msg #38
15. Read a book whose title mentions poison or a treatment for poison - msg #45
16. Read a book whose author has a name in the top 10 most popular baby names from the last five years - msg #49
17. Read a book with a title that consists of a single compound word - msg #51
18. Read a book with a game in the title - msg #67

Challenge #19
19. Read a book that you intended to read in the First Quarter of 2025 - msg #78

Please hold your challenge until the May, 2025, TIOLI challenge is posted. Thank you. Kudos, challengers, for reaching 19 challenges this month. Wow! :)

Challenge #3: Read a book that was a winner or finalist for the Nebula Awards between 2001 and 2025 (list the year and category)

Entirely self-serving, since I am now a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. This makes me eligible to judge the 2025 Nebulas, and I need to get my votes in by 4/30!

Your challenge is to read a 21st century Nebula finalist. (I'm starting with 2001 not to be pedantic about when the century started but because the 2000 finalists would've been published in 1999.)

Wikipedia helpfully provides lists by category:
Novel (over 40,000 words)
Novella (17,500-40,000 words)
Novelette (7500-17,500 words)
Short Story (under 7500 words)
Andre Norton Award (young adult and middle grade works)

Challenge #4: Read a book with a word from the name of a cereal advertising mascot in the title or author's name (list mascot and cereal)

* Must be three letters or more

* Can't be "the" or "and"

* Can be embedded

Some references:

List of breakfast cereal advertising characters

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breakfast_cereal_advertising_characters?wp...

The Ultimate list of Cereal Mascots

https://listium.com/@TriviaKings/79657/the-ultimate-list-of-cereal-mascots

Challenge #8: Read a book about nature

It can be tagged on LT as nature. Can be fiction or nonfiction.

Challenge #9: Read a book that mentions a garden or flower in the fourth chapter.

Name of flower or if a garden simple put "garden" on the wiki.

If your chapters are not numbered but divided in another manner, simply count what appears to be the fourth chapter.

>6 DeltaQueen50: Will subtitles work too, Judy, or just the title proper? Thanks!

>11 alcottacre: Sub-titles are fine.

>12 DeltaQueen50: Thank you for your quick response, Judy! It is much appreciated.

Challenge 10: Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize. Read any book that has ever been nominated for the Women's Prize (fiction or nonfiction).


A link to previous winners and shortlistees. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Women%27s_Prize_for_Fiction_winners

>14 Kristelh: Are longlisted books included in this challenge?

Also, adding the link to the awards page so people can see easily what books they have in their library: https://www.librarything.com/award/1353/Womens-Prize-for-Fiction

>14 Kristelh: I don't think details of all books nominated are publicised, but I assume this is all books that were longlisted/shortlisted (obviously including winners).

>15 wandering_star: I was about to do that, as this includes longlists. Here's the non fiction link:

https://www.librarything.com/award/13719/Womens-Prize-for-Non-Fiction

>16 elkiedee:. Yes it does include longlisted books and the long list might be harder to find. And thanks for the nonfiction list.

@jeanned @quondame

Could you correct the "mascot, cereal" portion of your entries? Both books are eligible but it looks like the extra data portion got switched!

After taking a month break from TIOLI because of traveling, I am thrilled to see that we are already at 10 challenges for April - and a week away from the start of the month so plenty of time to add more!

>18 Morphidae: My bad. I usually check to see if I've made edits to the wrong line, but I was too hurried this time.

I admit I'm having fun seeing how creative you all are finding titles to fit my challenge #1. :D

>21 SqueakyChu: Part of the fun of TIOLI, isn't it? I love seeing the creativity of the challenges and the titles!

>22 alcottacre: I might have been doing this since 2010, but the enjoyment of it stays as strong as ever.

>23 SqueakyChu: Yes it does for me, too. One of my favorite days of the month is the day the new TIOLI comes out

>23 SqueakyChu: >24 lindapanzo: My husband will tell you I get positively giddy choosing books for the new TIOLI challenges every month, lol.

>24 lindapanzo: I love that day as well, Linda, as I can't wait to see what challenges people will think of!

>25 alcottacre: Very glad I can so easily entertain you, Stasia! I love the choosing process, too, although I'm such a slow reader that I don't get to choose very many. :(

Nothing complicated this time (she says confidently)
Challenge #11: Read a book with the work "book" in the title or images of books (plural) on the cover

The work "book" needs to be in the title, or subtitle, and can be embedded.
OR
The cover needs to include an image that contains multiple books.

>26 SqueakyChu: Well since I generally choose more than I can possibly read in a month, I am not sure that is any better, Madeline!

>28 alcottacre: We both try as best we can! :D

Challenge #13: Read a book written by a Canadian Author published after 2010- started by figsfromthistle

Can be non fiction or fiction.

>29 SqueakyChu: Yep! And that is what matters. . .

>30 figsfromthistle: Eleanor Catton was born in Canada but moved to New Zealand as a child. Does she qualify as a Canadian author? Thanks.

Challenge #12: Read a book with a supernatural creature in the title or author's name

Generic names only, not proper names (for instance, angel would work but not Gabriel or Michael). Embedded words are fine.

Here's a list for inspiration:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/word-lists/supernatural-supernatural-creatu...

>32 alcottacre: Just added a #12 then came here to post it and saw that there is a #13. I guess I accidentally fixed things!

>34 cbl_tn: Yep! Thanks, Carrie! I took my comment off so as not to confuse Anita.

>32 alcottacre: No. She identifies herself as a New Zealand author and has spent her whole life living outside of Canada and has no residence in Canada.

>36 figsfromthistle: I did not think so, but wanted to check. Thanks, Anita.

Challenge #14: Read an Austen themed book, fiction or non-fiction

2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. In honor of that, read a book by Austen, or a biography, or a non-fiction book about Austen and her world, or any kind of novel with Austen or her characters as characters, or a literary homage that mirrors the plots of her core novels. Longbourn by Jo Baker, Stephanie Barron's books featuring Jane Austen as a sleuth, or books like Jane Austen's Bookshelf (non-fiction) or The Jane Austen Book Club (fiction).

>36 figsfromthistle: Agree, which is why I find it fascinating that she and her publisher submitted Birnam Wood for the Giller Prize of 2023, which is designed to recognize Canadian authors. (She was shortlisted.)

>39 Chatterbox: Birnam Wood was the book I was hoping to sneak into that challenge. . .

>33 cbl_tn: Carrie, would the word "Spirit" work for your challenge?
I have a book titled River Spirit.

>41 DeltaQueen50: Absolutely!

14 Challenges now?! Can we make it up to 18 before midnight April 4? I think we can, I think we can, I think we can. . .

>42 cbl_tn: 😊

Challenge #15: Read a book whose title mentions poison or a treatment for poison
You can name something used as a poison: mushrooms, lead, arsenic or something used to treat it: ipecac, a ventilator, sedatives... Embedded words and subtitles are fine.
I'll be reading The Antidote by Karen Russell which has mixed reviews.

>24 lindapanzo: I too love the day the new challenges come out, but I frequently forget to look for it at the right time.

My planned reads:
Challenge #1: Read a book whose title/subtitle includes any of these three-letter combinations: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC - started by SqueakyChu
✔That Others May Live - Sara Driscoll (3.5)
Challenge #2: The "Ya Gotta Have Faith" Challenge: Read a book with the word/name 'Faith' in either the book's title or the author's name - started by AlcottAcre
*The Faithless Hawk - Margaret Owen
✔Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult - Faith Jones (4)
Challenge #3: Read a book that was a winner or finalist for the Nebula Awards between 2001 and 2025 (list the year and category) - started by susanna.fraser
Amberlough - Lara Elena Donnelly ABANDONED
✔Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold (4)
Challenge #4: Read a book with a word from the name of a cereal advertising mascot in the title or author's name (list mascot and cereal) - started by Morphidae
✔Buzz Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects - Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (5)
Challenge #5: Read a book whose title includes one of the 5 “Ws” – Who, What, When, Where and Why - started by DeltaQueen
✔Who You Are: The Science of Connectedness - Michael J. Spivey (4)
Challenge #6: Read a book whose title or author's name includes a word with a "y" somewhere in the middle of the word - started by dallenbaug
*✔Hangman - Maya Binyam (2)
Challenge #7: Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) set before 1000 CE - started by wandering_star
*✔The Shadowed Land: A Novel - Signe Pike (5)
Challenge #8: Read a book about nature - started by lindapanzo
✔We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People - Nemonte Nenquimo (4)
Challenge #9: Read a book that names a flower or garden in the fourth chapter - started by Carmenere
✔Before We Were Yours - Lisa Wingate (4)
Iris Grace: How Thula the Cat Saved a Little Girl and Her Family - Arabella Carter-Johnson
Challenge #10: Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize - started by Kristelh
Brotherless Night - by V. V. Ganeshananthan abandoned
✔'The Ministry of Time: A Novel - Kaliane Bradley (4)
Challenge #11: Read a book with the work "book" in the title or images of books (plural) on the cover - started by helenliz
*✔The Lost Bookshop - Evie Woods (3.5)
Challenge #12: Read a book with a supernatural creature in the title or author's name - started by cbl_tn
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World - Steven Johnson
✔The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (4)
Challenge #13: Read a book written by a Canadian Author published after 2010- started by figsfromthistle
Crosshairs - Catherine Hernandez abandoned
✔Irma Voth - Miriam Toews (5)
Challenge #14: Read a book written by Jane Austen, about Austen, or a literary homage - started by Chatterbox
*✔Miss Austen - Gill Hornby (4)
Challenge #15: Read a book whose title mentions poison or a treatment for poison - started by Citizenjoyce
✔The Antidote - Karen Russell (2)
✔Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel (4)
*Mercury Pictures Presents - Anthony Marra
Challenge #16: Read a book whose author has a name in the top 10 most popular baby names from the last five years - started by bell7
*High Time - Hannah Rothchild
✔Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods - Amelia Pang (5)
Challenge #17: Read a book with a title that consists of a single compound word - started by JeanneD
✔Widowland - C. J. Carey (3.5)
Challenge #18: Read a book with a game in the title - started by countrylife
✔Exodus, Revisited: My Unorthodox Journey to Berlin by Deborah Feldman (4)
Harlem Rhapsody - Murray Victoria Christopher
✔In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked (4)
by Jonna Mendez
✔Voices from the Pandemic: Americans Tell Their Stories of Crisis, Courage and Resilience- Eli Saslow (5)
Challenge #19: Read a book that you intended to read in the First Quarter of 2025. - Started by avatiakh
✔Flame and Sparrow - S M Gaither (3)

>45 Citizenjoyce: I'm assuming that just the word "poison" is OK, as are embedded words and subtitles??

Challenge #16: Read a book whose author has a name in the top 10 most popular baby names from the past five years

In the U.S., the Social Security Administration Baby Names page tracks the most common names given to children in a given calendar year. Right now, the most recent list is from 2023 (it takes some time to compile, so 2024 hasn't been announced yet).

For the purposes of this challenge, you can look back to top ten lists from 2020. If another country has a similar list, you can post it on this thread or PM me, and I'll keep a running list of links you can use to get names.

Please note what place the name is in, the country, and the year on the wiki.

Lists to use:
Social Security Administration Baby Names (U.S.)
New Zealand baby names
United Kingdom baby names
Canadian baby names
French baby names
Around the world (babynames.com)

>49 bell7: Here's one for New Zealand:

https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/news/baby-names

Challenge #17: Read a book with a title that consists of a single compound word

Each component word that makes up the compound word must be at least 4 letters long. There can be no overlap between the words and no punctuation between the words.

A few examples of books that fit the challenge:
Ghostroots, by ‘Pemi Aguda
Dayswork, by Chris Bachelder & Jennifer Habel
Foregone, by Russell Banks
Widowland, by C. J. Carey
Helpless, by Annette Dashofy

These books would not fit the challenge:
The Wishbones, by Tom Perrotta – One-word titles only
Digby, by David Walker – Both component words must be at least 4 letters in length
Arboreality, by Rebecca Campbell – The component words cannot overlap
Cloud-Castles, by Dave Freer – There cannot be punctuation between the component words

>48 Chatterbox: Yes.

>49 bell7: I've got an author named Charles, but the NZ name is "Charlie" for boys. Would that work??

>53 Chatterbox: I'm afraid I'm going to be picky about that and say that Charlie is a separate name all its own in that case. I would, however, consider the other way around, if the full name name Charles was on the top 10 list and the author's given name was Charles but they used Charlie on the book.

If you can find another country where Charles is in the top 10 baby names from any year from 2020 on, that would also be fine.

Here's a Canadian list:
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/7180-most-popular-baby-names-2023

British:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/liv....

French:
https://nameberry.com/popular-names/france

What's amazing is the degree of overlap in spite of quite different languages -- Noah is on pretty much every list, Sweden, Germany, the UK, the US. Same with variants of Sophia, and Emma pops up all over the place.

>49 bell7: Does a top ten name work if it's the author's last name? I'm thinking of Kristin Hannah.

>51 jeanned: - - Must the compound word title be without a subtitle?

>56 lindapanzo: and Sophie Hannah...

>55 Chatterbox: Thank you for those! I've added the links. It is pretty impressive how much overlap there is between lists. I found it interesting to see that my friend's daughter's name, Isla, while not super popular in the U.S. makes the top 10 in Australia and New Zealand and I think the UK too.

>56 lindapanzo: Yes, it can be middle or last name, it doesn't have to be the given name.

>57 countrylife: It's okay for there to be a subtitle. But the main title must be a single word that meets that rules of the challenge.

>43 alcottacre: We're up to 17 so if no one else has I'll post number 18 on April 4.

>61 SilverWolf28: There is no limit to the number of challenges that can be posted per month, with the exception that each challenger may only post one challenge. I added an extra wiki page so more challenges may be added through April
4th.

>61 SilverWolf28: The only reason I was cheering for us to reach 18 is for people to have more chances to get sweeplettes and minis in, Silver, because we would have a third full page of challenges. As Madeline says, there can be any be any number of monthly TIOLI challenges, so go ahead and post!

>61 SilverWolf28: >63 alcottacre: Whoa! Thanks for the heads up, both of you. I thought I added a wiki page four yesterday, but my coding was in error so that page appeared blank. I jumped out of bed to fix it...so it's fine now! Back to bed for me. :D

>64 SqueakyChu: I hope you got plenty of rest despite the hopping out of bed, Madeline!

>65 alcottacre:. I did. I always like to read at bedtime and play word games on my phone before I go to sleep. I just happened to peek at LT and... Yikes!

Challenge #18: Read a book with a game in the title

A word in the title that is a game. I'm very open to your interpretations. Tag, puzzle, pong, whatever!

You'd think that with 17 challenges already, I could've fit my book SOMEwhere! Nope, so here we have this little fella to add to the list.

ETA: Clarifications:
The name of the game, video or otherwise, works for me, too.
Embedded words are fine; words found across adjacent words are fine.

>67 countrylife: I had a book I couldn't fit anywhere else, and it has the name of a videogame in the title (Ride). It even seems to be a franchise. If that's not what you're looking for I'll remove it.

>66 SqueakyChu: Good to hear, Madeline!

>67 countrylife: Since I play so-called 'modern' board games, I have a vast arena to choose from. Thanks for the challenge, Cindy!

>67 countrylife: You'd think that with 17 challenges already, I could've fit my book SOMEwhere! Nope, so here we have this little fella to add to the list.

LOL!

>67 countrylife: Cool challenge! And ideal for Stasia... :-)

Quick question: can the word for the game be embedded? For instance, Spy vs "spying" or Snoop vs "snoopiing", or Life vs "lifetime"?

I'm remembering that I used to love a board game called "masterpiece", where you had to build a collection with valuable art (postcards), and bid on new art, some of which might have been incredibly valuable and some forgeries...

>71 Chatterbox: Definitely in my wheelhouse!

>68 cbl_tn: : The name of the game, video or otherwise, works for me, too.

>71 Chatterbox: : Embedded words are fine; words found across adjacent words are fine.

(Added these clarifications to my challenge post.)

>67 countrylife: Yay! Finally, a challenge for one of my must read books this month.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Does anyone have an idea where I could put Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate? I can't believe Lisa isn't a popular name. We is a company that makes board games, but it isn't a game. We Were Here is a board game, but I don't have the here.

Challenge #19: Read a book that you intended to read in the First Quarter of 2025

So many challenges around on LT and so like others I've not completed some of my intended reading already. Also library books that are coming due. Books at the top of the tbr pile that keep getting pushed aside.
Hope this is a helpful addition to the challenges.

>75 Citizenjoyce: How about Challenge 9? The character Camellia has a flower name (unless the reference has to be to an actual flower/garden).

>76 avatiakh: I have books checked out from library that I've intended to read anytime in the last n quarters where n may be greater than 8.

>76 avatiakh: Nice! Thanks, Kerry!

>78 quondame: >79 alcottacre: My library allows two renewals which means I can have a book out for 3 months if it hasn't been requested by someone else, and even then I don't always get them read.

>76 avatiakh: The book need not be a library book, right? I was going to read a book that I had intended to read last month for the American Authors challenge but never got to; however, I own the book, it is not a library book.

>81 alcottacre: Definitely, any book that was an intended read already. I have two from Paul's European challenge (Feb & Mar) that I hope to get done and two review copies for Gefen Publishing.

>77 elkiedee: Thanks so much.

>82 avatiakh: OK, thanks for the clarification, Kerry.

>76 avatiakh: You are a lifesaver!! :-)

>80 avatiakh: My library allows two renewals which means I can have a book out for 3 months if it hasn't been requested by someone else,
We take a book for 3 week and can renew 20 times. So I could have a book out for over a year. I've not yet run out of renewals before either reading or giving up on ever getting to it...

>86 Helenliz: That sounds wonderful, though I'd just end up losing the books in the piles of my own ones.

I’m blessed. While the city library (and it’s smaller branches) allows 4 week loans with five renewals (so six months in total) if no one else wants it, the university library has four week loans with auto renewals in perpetuity for everything but new books and textbooks. It can be dangerous but it’s also wonderful.

Just a reminder that I will be posting the 'prizes' for March tomorrow. Please be sure that the wiki for that month is up to date. Thanks!!

>33 cbl_tn: Would a fictional race of people comparable to 'elves' in most fantasies count?

>5 Morphidae: Morphidae, can I use nowhere Man for your challenge?

>90 quondame: That one is tricky. Elves or the equivalent would qualify, but not people.

>91 Kristelh: Yes, just make sure you include the serial name in the wiki.

>93 Morphidae: thanks!

It is that time of the month again - PRIZE TIME!!




Mini-Sweeplettes in March:
AnneDC for challenges 3-6
antqueen for challenges 3-5
bell7 for challenges 1-5
cbl_tn for challenges 4-6
Dejah_Thoris for challenges 2-6 and 10-12
DeltaQueen for challenges 1-5
helenliz for challenges 3-5
labfs39 for challenges 3-6
PawsforThought for challenges 4-6
raidergirl3 for challenges 3-5 and 8-10

Sweeplettes in March
antqueen for challenges 7-12
dallenbaugh for challenges 1-6 and 7-12
Kristelh for challenges 1-6
lindapanzo for challenges 1-6

Sweeps in March:
Chatterbox
Citizenjoyce
figsfromthistles
Quondame

Congratulations to all our prize winners especially those who had multiple mini-sweeplettes and sweeplettes!!

Note that because page 3 of the wiki only had two challenges posted on it, there was no possibility for minis and sweeps there.

As always, if I made any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct my error. Updated to indicate Anita's sweep.

Just so everyone knows, I am planning to post the prizes list on the 4th or 5th of every month. This gives time for people to update the wiki as needed, especially if there are problems with the wiki.

95 Congrats to our long list of sweepers! Nice!!

I got a mini-sweeplette? Aw, I think that’s my first!

>95 alcottacre: Hmmm. I am pretty sure I read a book in each category making it a sweep…..

Congratulations to the winners.

Congrats to the winners.

>97 PawsforThought: Yay, Paws!

>98 figsfromthistle: I am so sorry, Anita. I will update my post to reflect your sweep. Not sure how I missed it.

>67 countrylife: Do the names have to be spelled the same? Would The Last Mrs. Parrish work for the game The Parish?

>102 Citizenjoyce: : On the verge of saying no, but found this: "Parrish is a name of Old French origin, and the meaning of Parrish is "ecclesiastical locality". It is originally a surname from a place name. A parish is the area managed by a pastor or priest. Parrish is the most common form of the name in English...", so, yes, I'll allow it.

>103 countrylife: Thanks.

TIOLI Question of the Month

Have you read any book this month you would describe as "fascinating"?! If so, which book was it and why would you use this word to describe it?

>105 SqueakyChu: I’ve been reading a bunch of Ancient Greek plays (specifically Aeschylus) and I’m fascinated by how much he seems to like women. The ancient world isn’t usually a place for gender equality (and that’s certainly not the case in these either), it it seems to me like Aeschylus actually likes women. The female characters are much more interesting than the men and they have all the best lines. It’s actually quite heartening.

>105 SqueakyChu: I'm finding my Discord book club selection, The King is Dead well written, with interesting characters, problems, and cultures.

>105 SqueakyChu: I just finished Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones and I'm fascinated by her choice for such a horrible name for an engrossing memoir about being raised in the cult, Children of God. Yes, sex, especially the requirement that women in the cult should joyfully "share" with any man who wanted them, is at the cornerstone of her idea that a person's body belongs to herself. However, it seems the title would draw in people who were not interested in such a concept. The title would seem to tantalize those who enjoyed the idea of sex slaves. If I could ask her any one question, it would be why she chose such a bizarre title.

>105 SqueakyChu: I would say that The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King fits this category the best this month for me. We are introduced to a man who begins as an apprentice at a bookshop when he is 11 years old (during the Renaissance, I should add) and sees the transition from the 'old' technology of manuscripts to the 'new' technology of the printing press introduced by Gutenberg. I found the way that the technology impacted the bookselling business fascinating although some people, such as Lorenzo de Medici, refused to buy printed books but rather stuck to manuscripts - kind of like some people will not accept Kindles and other e-readers.

>105 SqueakyChu: I would say Sacha Lamb's The Forbidden Book which is a lovely book about a young Jewish girl escaping from her wedding to the rabbi's son. It's set in a 19th century Russian town and is rich in Jewish folklore of dybbuks and angels. I loved it and will look out for Lamb's first book.
Lamb does bring gender queer elements to their work but I have to say that this does not intrude at all into the storytelling, though for those looking for it, they will find it. I mention this because my daughter read the first few pages and said it was full of it which I find fascinating because for me it was hardly there.

Stats for March 2025

Stats for this past month were kind of disappointing. We read a total of 291 books, the lowest monthly stat for this year. We only had 26 shared reads (9%) which was the lowest number of shared reads since 2021. Same for the percentage of shared reads (yeah...since 2021). Our YTD total of TIOLI points for March was 101, the lowest number since (yeah...) 2021.

Our most popular books were these two, both read by three challengers:
---The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
---My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

The most popular challenge, with 59 books read, was the one by @Chatterbox to read a book with a four-letter word embedded in a longer word in the title.

The challenge with the most TIOLI points (five) was the one by @Citizenjoyce to read a classic by a European author.

Ever onward, challengers!

>111 SqueakyChu: Sorry to see that March's stats were kind of disappointing. Hopefully with so many challenges in April we can make up for it!

>111 SqueakyChu: Maybe the low states are because everyone in the US is going crazy right now, and even reading doesn't help.

>113 Citizenjoyce: Indeed everyone here is going crazy. I actually find reading comforting, but I don’t read about politics. I find that jigsaw puzzling and activism calm my anxiety. I’m actually reading a comfort book now, a gift from alcottacre (from who knows how long ago?). It’s Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. The rabbi, Reb Albert Lewis, that the Albom speaks with frequently gives very helpful advice to the author, but also to the anxious me. It’s quite an uplifting read.

>127 jeanned: Maybe the low states are because everyone in the US is going crazy right now, and even reading doesn't help.

Certainly the case for me.

My reading was up a bit last month but I didn't add much to the wiki for two reasons:

1. Couldn't fit them all into challenges (I pick books to read and then see if they fit challenges rather that try to find books for the challenges)
2. Completely blanked on the dates and didn't realise we were in a new month until it was too late. Could have added maybe two more books if I'd been more alert.

>114 SqueakyChu: I hope you enjoy the book, Madeline! I agree about it is a comfort read.

The TIOLI Awards for March, 2025:

The Gimme a Cuppa Award goes to @Chatterbox for reading The Coffee Trader for the challenge by lindapanzo to read a book with a beverage in the title. I am such a coffee addict that "softee" me just had to give this challenger an award!

The Mathematician Award goes to @Kristelh for the challenge to read a book with 15 letters in the title. I had to laugh over this challenge because, here we go...counting title letters once again! I am so bad at this. Every time I count letters in a long title, I end up with a different sum! :D

The Celebrate the Earth Award goes to @figsfromthistle for the challenge to celebrate the national festival of trees by reading a book about trees or has tree in the title and to @Dejah_Thoris for the challenge to read a book with GARDEN in the title/subtitle, and/or series name. In this turmoil of a world, it is nice to put aside worries and just think about...tree and gardens. They are so quiet and...sane! :D

The What About Forever Award goes to @figsfromthistle for reading The Salt Grows Heavy for the challenge by susanna.fraser to read a book with something in the title you could give up for Lent. Well, this challenger is giving up salt for Lent, but my husband and I are giving up (large amounts of) salt for the forseeable future due to medical advice for my husband (I do the cooking). It seems that slowly there are less and less things we can actually eat (fruits and vegetables don't count, of course! Haha!).

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

>118 SqueakyChu: Congratulations to all the award winners!

>118 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award!! Coffee is still on your list of consumables, though... :-)

I'm giving up most salt (giving up adding it to any food I cook, so that I can still have the occasional ham or turkey sandwich, with low/no extra sodium, natch) but No Salt is pretty decent. I'm also having to cut way back on sugars, which is a major pain, as I like fruit. I don't add sugar to anything, really, unless I'm making oatmeal (which gets brown sugar) or I'm baking for some reason, but I'm realizing how much I dislike yoghurt unless it has lots of fresh fruit added... As in, I will go without breakfast rather than eat it.

>120 Chatterbox: Coffee is still on your list of consumables, though... :-)

Yes, it is...and it's not coming off!

Well, we're both on your same diet. I stopped eating sugar when my husband was diagnosed within the past year with prediabetes. If there is something sweet in the house, he will eat it. It's just easier to make low salt, low sugar meals for both of us. Like you, I added a bit of salt back into what we eat because cutting it back too much made *everything* totally unpalatable. I can't believe I raised my kids on McDonald's hamburger. I haven't touched fast food for years!

>118 SqueakyChu: Congrats winners!

>118 SqueakyChu: I think salt's really interesting. As a child, my Mum had jaundice, and was put on a restricted diet, including no salt. This lasted long enough that, rather than cook 2 meals, my Grandma just stopped adding salt to food when cooking. As a result my Mum never added salt to anything while cooking, and neither do I. Means I think most restaurant food is over salted, and I can't abide salted caramel - all I can taste is the salt. urgh.
Taste really is what you are used to.

Thanks for the award!

I do like salt, but like pepper more and I use other seasonings a lot. I hardly add any salt at the table but do add some salt when cooking. I use more pepper when cooking that what recipes generally call for.

oh wow! two awards! Nice! thank you :)

I'd like some recommendations for books to end the month with - novellas or shorter, children's, etc. I prefer genre books (romance, sf/f, cozy mystery) though I'll read just about anything.

My preference is for shared reads on the first page of challenges (except challenge #3 or #4) though any shared read would be good.

I also need to stay away from any heavy topics or dense reading. Life is too challenging right now.

Failing everything else, anything that won't take me more than a few hours to read (300 pages or less) that fits a challenge (except for #3 or #4) would work.

I reread Binti for Challenge #3 this morning and that was enjoyable.

>126 Morphidae: A little longer than you asked for, and also in Challenge #3, but I found Someone You Can Build a Nest In to be a delightfully different fantasy romance.

>127 jeanned: I thought I might look at it for May but it's $15 for the ebook and $20 for the paperback!

>126 Morphidae: How about The Jungle Book? A shared read in challenge #19.

Just a reminder that I will be compiling the list of mini-sweeplettes, sweeplettes, and sweeps on the 5th of May, so that should allow for plenty of time for last minute updates :)

Housekeeping Day!

Please remember to delete from the April wiki any book that you do not finish reading by 12 midnight tonight (except for any rolling challenges which may just be marked DNF). Thank you!