Take It or Leave It Challenge - May 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 May, 2025 is to...

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Read a book you *really should* read now (and tell us why)!
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Rules:
1. Shared reads are fine.
2. Have fun with this one!

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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 May 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 you *really should* read now (and tell us why) - msg #1
2. Read a book where one of the main characters is a young person under the age of 21 - msg #4
3. Read a book whose title includes a place you might find a book - msg #5
4. Read a book by or about someone who has been to prison - msg #7
5. Re-read a book, or read an author you've previously read - msg #8
6. Read a book by an author with a consecutive double letter in their name - msg #15

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book that has a word in the title that is also an authors name - msg #22
8. Read a book by an author who is or has heritage from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives) - msg #27
9. Read a book that has won at least one award from an author you have never read before and name the award - msg #28
10. Read a book that has been nominated for a Hugo Award - msg #29
11. Read a book by an author who uses three (or more) names - msg #30
12. Read a book that includes any word for "mother" in either the title or the author's name - msg #36

Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book in honor of MrMorphy - msg #45
14. Read a book where one of the main characters is in their old age - msg #65
15. Read a book with a title of 3 or more single syllable words, no initial a, an, or the - msg #73
16. Read a book by/with/about joy - msg #74

Hold your challenge until the June, 2025, TIOLI challenge thread is posted. Thank you so much!

>1 SqueakyChu: Hurrah for a new TIOLI! And thanks for posting that challenge, I’m pretty sure that was specifically for me… (I have multiple books to put in there)

TIOLI Challenge #2: Read a book where one of the main characters is a young person under the age of 21

Challenge #3: The 'It's My Mother's Birthday Again!' Challenge: In honor of the woman who taught me to read when I was 3, read a book whose title includes a place you might find a book

I am looking for places you might reasonably find a book, so thinking outside the box is encouraged. The obvious places are book stores, libraries, that kind of thing, but do you have books on a Kindle? A Nook? Keep one in your car? Your purse or bag? Let's have fun with this challenge!

>4 DeltaQueen50: Does the character have to be under 21 for the whole book? Or do they have to be under that age for a certain amount of the book? I have a few books where characters start as children and grown up.

Challenge #4: Read a book by or about someone who has been to prison
I prefer nonfiction, but I'll accept fiction. I'll be reading
My Time to Stand: A Memoir - Gypsy-Rose Blanchard

Challenge #5: May-Ja Vu - Re-read a book, or read an author you've previously read The main idea is to do a re-read which is something I don't do often but if you're really opposed to rereads, read an author you've previously read.

>8 Kristelh: Since I just read The Foxglove King in April, I appreciate the opportunity to get to the second book in the series! This challenge also helps me with my series reading. Thanks, Kristel.

>9 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. I actually thought of you when posting this because you do more rereads than anyone I know!

>8 Kristelh: Ooh, this could fit almost all books I've planned for May.

>11 PawsforThought:, Happy to accommodate!

>10 Kristelh: LOL!

>6 PawsforThought: As long as one of the main characters is under 21 for a good portion of the book, it will fit this challenge.

Challenge #6: Read a book by an author with a consecutive double letter in their name

By this, I mean that an author's first, last, or middle name must have the same letter consecutively. For instance, J.D. Robb.

What isn't OK, for purposes of this challenge is consecutive letters across two of the author's names. So, for this challenge, Andrea Anderson would not be acceptable because the A's aren't in the same name.

>8 Kristelh: Thanks for allowing books by a previously read author for your challenge. I almost never re-read books. In fact, the only book I can ever remember re-reading was Jack Finney's Time and Again. After about a half dozen re-reads, I'm not planning to re-read it again. I feel like I have so many books to read and rapidly dwindling time to read them, so I'd rather read new-to-me books. Since three friends/co-workers have announced their retirements from work, this is something that is top of mind for me these days since all four of us started at roughly the same time, though I am a bit younger.

>16 lindapanzo:, I, for one, also to not reread when there are so many books that I want to get to. I am going to reread something for the challenge, however. I am going to listen to the audio of Hawksmoor which I read a print copy a long time back. It was a difficult read so I am hoping the audio will add to the story.

I really struggled in April, trying to fit my books in the various challenges and now here it is May and with just 6 challenges listed so far, I can fit all my 16 planned books in!

>18 DeltaQueen50: That is great, Judy! I am glad May is so much better for you, challenge-wise.

>19 alcottacre: It just goes to show you never know what challenges are going to be posted! (Which is why I love TIOLI so much)

>20 DeltaQueen50: Absolutely! I love seeing what everyone comes up with every month - and then finding just the right book(s) to fit that particular challenge.

Challenge #7: Read a book that has a word in the title that is also an authors name

The first, middle or last name of an author may be used. It may also be embedded. All I ask is you include the full name of author in parentheses beside your entry.

>22 Carmenere: Is that first name, last name, or the entire authors name, Lynda?

>23 alcottacre: Thanks for asking, Stasia. Any portion of the name can be used. It may even be embedded. I would also like the full name of the author being used in parentheses) I will clarify this in post #22

>24 Carmenere: Thanks for the clarification, Lynda!

>25 alcottacre: No problem, Stasia!

Challenge #8: Read a book by an author who is or has heritage from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives)

Fiction or non-fiction are both OK.

Challenge #10: Read a book that has been nominated for a Hugo Award (list the category and year)

Another self-serving category as I prepare to vote on finalist for SFF awards! In this case I'll actually be there for the ceremony, since WorldCon is in Seattle.

2025 finalists
All Best Novel finalists
Best Novella
Best Novelette
Best Short Story
Best Series (If you choose from Best Series, you can read any book from the nominated series.)
Best Related Work
Best Graphic Story or Comic
Astounding Award for Best New Writer
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book

Challenge #11: Read a book whose author's name contains three (or more) words

Note that an initial does not represent a full word, for the purposes of this challenge. Equally, a first letter followed by a surname, like O'Hara or O'Connor, does not qualify. A "de" qualifies as a distinct word.

So Francine du Plessix Gray is four letters, as is Niklas Nach Och Dag.

I'll be reading books by Thomas Chatterton Williams and Mohammed Mbougar Sarr.

Hyphenated names are OK, as in Jean-Christophe Rufin.

>8 Kristelh: >16 lindapanzo: >17 Kristelh: A hymn of praise to the joys of re-reading! I think lindapanzo and I are almost exactly the same age, but my own view is that life is too short now for me NOT to re-read books that I loved. There are a handful that I don't think I can re-read any longer because I know them too well, but other faves never seem to lose their charm. This challenge feels like an invitation to indulge myself, so THANK YOU! I'll probably include some previously-read authors, but every month I find myself leavening the new books with something enticing from my past reading history.

>31 Chatterbox:, I am so happy that this challenge is making so many "happy".

>31 Chatterbox: my own view is that life is too short now for me NOT to re-read books that I loved. I absolutely share that viewpoint, Suzanne!

Hey, everyone: I was just on the wiki and noticed that someone has added The Silence of the Choir - Mohammed Mbougar Sarr to Challenge 11, but neglected to add the reader's name. Could whoever this is please fix it? Thanks!

>31 Chatterbox: I think we are about the same age. I turned 64 in March. With an average life expectancy of 21 years, I’d be lucky to read all of my current unread Kindle books, not to mention all of my print books. I am trying to cull the print books as my mobility gets worse.

I’ve never been one to re-read.

Challenge #12: Read a book that contains any word for "mother" in either the title or the author's name.

Her day is coming in May!

Just to be clear: Motherless Brooklyn or Scott Momaday would both be perfectly acceptable for this challenge.

>34 alcottacre: My bad, Stasia.

>35 lindapanzo: Yup, I turned 63 in February. I'm also de-accessioning as vigorously as I can with physical books, as my eyesight deteriorates. The ARCs go to a Little Free Library, and the 'real' finished paperbacks and hardcovers to the Providence Athenaeum for resale in their little shop. And my mobility is crap. I had to get up in the middle of the night to put a lidocaine patch on my hip and take some painkillers, so I can sleep. Gah.

I realize there are some books I own but will never read, but I'm OK with that. I just don't want to move again with so many boxes of books!

>37 Chatterbox: No worries, Suzanne. It is just easier for me if it is fixed now instead of later :)

My planned reads:
Challenge #1: Read a book you *really should* read now (and tell us why) - started by SqueakyChu
✔Yellowface: A Novel - R. F Kuang (3.5)
Challenge #2: Read a book where one of the main characters is a young person under the age of 21 - started by DeltaQueen
✔Iris Grace: How Thula the Cat Saved a Little Girl and Her Family - Arabella Carter-Johnson (4)
Challenge #3: The 'It's My Mother's Birthday Again!' Challenge: In honor of the woman who taught me to read when I was 3, read a book whose title includes a place you might find a book, started by AlcottAcre
✔The Forgotten Home Child - Genevieve Graham (4)
Challenge #4: Read a book by or about someone who has been to prison - started by Citizenjoyce
✔My Time to Stand: A Memoir - Gypsy-Rose Blanchard (3.5)
Challenge #5: May-Ja Vu - Re-read a book, or read an author you've previously read - started by Kristelh
✔The Poppy War: A Novel - R. F Kuang (4)
✔Wise Blood: A Novel by Flannery O'Connor (4)
Challenge #6: Read a book by an author with a consecutive double letter in their name - started by lindapanzo
✔A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor (4)
✔Harlem Rhapsody - Victoria Christopher Murray (5)
✔Maine Characters - Hannah Orenstein (4)
Challenge #7: Read a book that has a word in the title that is also an authors name - started by Carmenere
✔The Dragon Republic - R. F Kuang (4)
Challenge #8: Read a book by an author who is or has heritage from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives) - started by wandering_star
*✔All the Lives We Never Lived - Anuradha Roy (4)
Challenge #9: Read a book that has won at least one award from an author you have never read before and name the award - started by dallenbaugh
*✔The Other Bennet Sister - Janice Hadlow (3.5)
Challenge #10: Read a book that has been nominated for a Hugo Award (list the category and year) - started by susanna.fraser
*✔Feed - Mira Grant (3.5)
Alien Clay - Adrian Tchaikovsky
✔Someone You Can Build a Nest In - John Wiswell (4)
Challenge #11: Read a book by an author who uses three (or more) names - started by Chatterbox
✔Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism - Sarah Wynn-Williams (4.5)
*✔The Square of Sevens - Laura Shepherd Robinson (4)
Challenge #12: Read a book that includes any word for "mother" in either the title or the author's name - started by LizzieD
*✔Stone Mothers - Erin Kelly (4)
Challenge #13: Read a book in honor of MrMorphy - started by Morphidae
*✔My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George (4)
Challenge #14: Read a book where one of the main characters is in their old age - started by avatiakh
✔The Emperor of Gladness: A Novel by Ocean Vuong (4)
✔How to age disgracefully - Clare Pooley (4)
Challenge #15: Read a book with a title of 3 or more single syllable words, no initial a, an, or the - started by quondame
*✔All This and More - Peng Shepherd (3.5)
✔Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind by Nate Bargatze (3.5)
*✔How to Read a Book - Monica Wood (4.5)
✔Red Team Blues -by Cory Doctorow (3.5)
Challenge #16: Read a book by/with/about joy - started by helenliz
*Happiness - Aminatta Forna Abandoned
I Curse You with Joy -Tiffany Haddish Abandoned
✔Joy: Poet, Seeker, and the Woman Who Captivated C. S. Lewis by Abigail Santamaria (4)
The Trouble with Happiness: And Other Stories - Tove Ditlevsen Abandoned

>29 susanna.fraser: How Exciting! I could never be a judge because I'd want to vote for everyone to win.

>39 Citizenjoyce:. I wonder if your touchstones on Feed is wrong because your’s takes me to a book by Anderson.

>35 lindapanzo: Totally agree with this one! I also turned 64 in March and new books, new thoughts and new ideas, I believe, keep me young and relevant.
But to each their own and I certainly understand those who enjoy rereading. Both have their place

>39 Citizenjoyce: Looks like you have a great reading month planned, Joyce!

>42 Carmenere: I turned 63 in March, Lynda, so not far behind you and Linda. I agree - both initial reading and re-reading have their place and neither is wrong in my eyes. At least we are reading!

>43 alcottacre: It does look like a great reading month for me, and I'm retiring this month, so it should be paradise.

Challenge #13: Read a book in honor of MrMorphy

MrMorphy went to urgent care thinking he had a tooth infection because of pain in his jaw and a swollen face. Instead we found out that MrMorphy has stage 4 lung cancer. It has metastacized to his adrenal glands, superior vena cava, lymph nodes in his neck and his brain.

He's had the first of four rounds of chemo that will reduce the tumors and make him more comfortable for 3 to 6 months. With some luck, he'll be around until our 36th anniversary next summer.

So, in honor of my beloved husband read a book:

(Please put how your book applies in the wiki.)

Published in 1959 (his birth year) or 1990 (our anniversary year) or written by an author born in those years or has a total page count that ends in 59 or 90, e.g. 359, 490.

About fishing, has a character that fishes, or has a fish or fishing tackle (rod & reel, jigs, lures, hook, etc.) on the cover.

Related to Harry Potter or has origins related to fan fiction, e.g. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard (He likes reading HP fanfic.)

Has a main page tag of Puns or Punny (don't click on All or More Tags)

A Star Trek novel or by an author of any franchise-related media, e.g., novels, short stories, articles, episode scripts or a nonfiction book about Star Trek

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Star_Trek_authors

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Writers

>45 Morphidae:, Oh Morphie, I am so sorry to hear this. Now I need to go find a book in honor of Mrmorphe.

>44 Citizenjoyce: Retirement is terrific, Joyce! Congratulations on that!!

>45 Morphidae: I am so sorry to hear the news about MrMorphy. I will definitely read something in his honor for May's TIOLI challenge, Morphy.

Oh my goodness - what a terrible shock that must have been. Thinking of you both.

>45 Morphidae: Oh, Morphy, that's dreadful news. So sorry for you and MrMorphy and I hope the chemo works well.

>45 Morphidae: Such terrible news. I hope the TIOLI books chosen will bring some comfort.

>45 Morphidae: Im terribly sorry for that you and MrMorphy have received this awful news. I will participate in your challenge and will hold you both in my heart.

>45 Morphidae: What awful news, Morphy, I'm so sorry. I will do my best to find a book to read in his honor this month.

>45 Morphidae: Tough news, Morphy. So sorry to hear it.

>45 Morphidae: Oh Morphy, I am so sorry to read of this. Holding both of you in my thoughts.

>45 Morphidae: So sorry to read that. Hope that chemo gives you both more time.

>45 Morphidae: Morphy, I am so deeply sorry that life gave you and Mr. Morphy such a sucker punch. We're here to support you in any way we can.

>45 Morphidae: My heart dropped when scrolling down and reading this. I am so sorry to hear this and hope treatment goes well.

>46 Kristelh: >47 alcottacre: >48 wandering_star: >49 PawsforThought: >50 dallenbaugh: >51 Matke: >52 bell7: >53 elkiedee: >54 DeltaQueen50: >55 Helenliz: >56 SqueakyChu: >57 jeanned:

Thanks, folks.

I've been online for 36-ish years and been here on LT for almost 19 years. Never have I come across a more compassionate and supportive group of people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

>45 Morphidae: I'm so sorry to hear about Mr. Morphy's health. I hope his pain will be well controlled and wish you both strength.

>45 Morphidae: Morphy, so sorry to hear this awful news about Mr Morphy. I’ll find something to read in his honor and keep you in my heart.

>45 Morphidae: I am very sorry to read about Mr Morphy's diagnosis. I lost my husband suddenly almost 5 yrs ago. I took him to ER for a breathing issue and he went into cardiac arrest while I parked the car.
We learned he had un-diagnosed lymphoma. I'll never know how he was able to have lymphoma and we had no idea.
So my heart goes out to you and I'll find something that suits your challenge.

>45 Morphidae: Oh Morphy, I'm so very sorry. I have a Star Trek graphic novel I'll be reading in his honor.

>45 Morphidae: Hi Morphy - such sad news you bring us. Hopefully Mr Morphy is receiving the best of care.
I've added a Neal Stephenson book to your challenge.

Challenge #14: Read a book where one of the main characters is in their old age

A character in their sixties or older.
I'll say no to books that feature an old person telling the stories of their youth, unless there is a substantial section of them in their old age.

>45 Morphidae: So very, very sorry to learn this -- I hope it's more than "some time" that he has left to spend with you in comfort while enjoying his favorite pastimes, whether fishing or StarTrek. Let us know how we can support you, while you support him...

>7 Citizenjoyce: I'd like to try for a sweep this month but need to keep the books relatively light.

Could I use Holes which is about a boy's detention camp or Al Capone Does My Shirts about a boy whose father gets a job at Alcatraz in 1935?

If not, I'll keep looking.

>67 Morphidae: A detention camp isn't a prison, but it's like a prison, so it counts. I loved Al Capone Does My Shirts, and it's set in a prison with lots of prisoners, so it also counts.

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

I have never been so happy to get to the start of a new TIOLI month, as it means I can stop trying to finish The Turn of the Screw for April's challenges. I've got further into it this time than I have managed before, and I do want to finish it, but heavens above it's not possible to read Henry James' sentences quickly.

>70 wandering_star: Oh, my. I think I have post-traumatic stress from reading that one for a university course some years ago. I had the bad foresight of reading it at the same time as I was scheduled for a surgery that ended up a bit more invasive than planned, and thus I was more tired than expected afterwards (a month’s sick leave instead of four days) and trying to read and analyse The Turn of the Screw while your head isn’t quite working as normal is not something I’d recommend.
Some day in the future, I should try and read it again and see if it’s better when I’m not recovering from abdominal surgery and an epidural.

>71 PawsforThought: That sounds pretty tough, I'm not surprised about your post-traumatic stress!

For my sins I am also working my way through a very dense non-fiction book at the same time. I am going to start this month with something light!

...(picks up book about siege of Sarajevo)

Challenge #15: Read a book with a title of 3 or more single syllable words, no initial a, an, or the

The trick is that Ask the Dust qualifies, but The Map Thief doesn't.

Challenge #16: Read a book by/with/about joy

Because I think we could all do with some joy in our lives.
I'm going to be embracing on this one.
It could include the work "joy" or a synonym in the title.
It could be written by or feature a character called Joy.
It could simply give you joy.
Anything that you think links to joy will be fine by me. Make this a lovely corner of the world.

>74 Helenliz: LOVE this, and completely agree with the sentiment behind it....

>74 Helenliz: >75 Chatterbox: I am with Suzanne!

>74 Helenliz: great idea. I was going to read my book about joy for another challenge earlier this year. Really hope I can get to it someday this time.

>45 Morphidae: I am just catching up here. I am so sorry to hear about the health problems. May you both find strength for the upcoming journey.

figsfromthistle said it beautifully. I'm so sorry, Morphy.

@lindapanzo, "star-crossed" doesn't fit a a single syllable word.

>80 quondame: Thanks. I think I missed the hyphen but will move it to another challenge.

>73 quondame: Would you consider the word "you've" to be one syllable?

Hey, everyone. I am trying to compile the 'prizes' list for April, but have a problem on the wiki: Someone has posted More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa as a completed book for Challenge #11, but there is no indication of the reader. Could whoever update the wiki so I can be sure and note it? Thanks!

>4 DeltaQueen50: I've just read a book where we follow the main character from high school for around 10 years. She is under 21 for most of the story. Could I count this for your challenge?

Hi folks, I'm sure this is accidental, but my name keeps getting removed from the Wiki of the TIOLI meter. I know it's complicated moving stuff around, but it's also a pain for me to go through the list of challenges and figure out which ones I have completed books for and redo the thing. It's happened at least once in each of the last few months, which is why I'm mentioning it now. I don't have the bandwidth to do the re-tallying now, so will do so next time I finish a book.

Thanks!

>85 Chatterbox: Not sure if this will help or not, Suz, but on the TIOLI meter page, you can always click on "history" (left hand column) and click on any line with your name.
cur - stands for current listing as of that date and time
prev - stands for previous listing of that date and time
One of those should have your most current post with all of your numbers (so that you don't have to go back to your actual reading list to figure them out time and again).

To others, please go slowly as you make your entries and double check them in preview before you save them. Thanks!

Note: All information can be retrieved, but as Suz says, it's a pain! :/

Is anyone else having trouble accessing the wiki?

>86 SqueakyChu: Thanks. i had no idea how that worked.

>84 wandering_star: Yes. Your book would fit the challenge.

>89 DeltaQueen50: thank you!

>86 SqueakyChu: Thanks, that will be a big help....

>91 Chatterbox: Glad you spoke up and that it helps, Suz! That feature has helped me a lot in the past. :)

>87 susanna.fraser: I just went in to try and gain access to April's wiki so that I can finish up the prizes for the month, but all I got was a 504 Timeout error, Susanna.

>93 alcottacre: The wiki is working for me now.

I got a 504 Gateway timeout this morning :(

Never mind, it's working for me now

>94 SqueakyChu: >95 bell7: I am still getting a 504 Gateway timeout. The prizes list for April may never get posted at this rate!

Apparently the wiki has been in and out for a few days. The admin is awaiting new servers. Follow the convo here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/368837

>92 SqueakyChu: Thanks, Madeline, that helped and I'm back on track. Sorry if I sounded like a grouch, but the fact that it keeps happening and I keep fixing it and then it happens again -- to be frank, that's why I left TIOLI for a year or two.

>98 Chatterbox: Really?! Wow! I'm so sorry, Suz! Please do speak up if there's something that's bugging you. We need to know what those things are so we can try to remedy them...if we can! I don't care if you sound like a grouch. I can get pretty grouchy at times, but most times I'm okay. :)

>99 SqueakyChu: And it vanished again. So I'm re-instating it AGAIN.

>100 Chatterbox: oh no!! I always hope I didn’t do anything but, sadly, I’ve been on the low end of the TIOLI meter lately, so probably not.

Personally, I'm thinking it's gremlins.

The same ones that have hidden my fave pair of reading glasses.

>102 Chatterbox: I actually found the last deletion, Suz! In the "history", of course. :) See?! Grouchiness and persistence pay off!!

Accidentally, I'm sure, on 5/6 when DeltaQueen jumped from 5 books to 6 books, she took her books up a step, but deleted your entry completely!

So, everyone (not only DeltaQueen), please use the TIOLI meter with great care.

If any of you notice your entry missing at any time, please use the "history" button to quickly get your numbers back. Let me know right away if something is missing or doesn't seem right. Time is of the essence.

I'm so happy I could figure out what happened (as I wasn't sure I could do that!). It took a while for me to remember how to use the "history" page correctly when looking for errors.

Sorry, Suz, but I still can't find your fave pair of reading glasses. :(

>101 lindapanzo: Linda, you're off the hook! LOL!

Better late than never this month! - PRIZE TIME!!




Mini-Sweeplettes in April:
antqueen for challenges 1-5
DeltaQueen for challenges 1-3
susanna.fraser for challenges 3-6
avatiakh for challenges 9-11
dallenbaugh for challenges 8-10 and 15-18
countrylife for challenges 16-18

Sweeplettes in April
Sadly, none

Sweeps in April:
AlcottAcre
Chatterbox
Citizenjoyce
Quondame

Congratulations to all our prize winners especially to dallengbaugh, who had multiple mini-sweeplettes!!

Note that because page 4 of the wiki only had one challenge 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.

>103 SqueakyChu: Congrats to our sweepers! You are fantastic!!

>104 alcottacre: thanks for your efforts in doing this compilation

I'm arriving late to the May challenge and have missed some things.

>83 alcottacre: That was me, Stasia! Updated.

>46 Kristelh: Oh, Morphy, that is heartbreaking news to hear. I will definitely look for a book that fits your challenge. I am so sorry, and please take care of yourself.

I'm loving both the reread challenge and the joy challenge, and am reading multiple books that can go in both categories!

>103 SqueakyChu: Whew, what a relief.

>104 alcottacre:, Congratulations winners.

TOLI Stats for April, 2025

In the month of April, 2025, we read a total of 292 books, of which 49 (17%) were shared reads. We collected 26 TIOLI points for an April YTD total of 127 TIOLI points (the lowest number for this month since 2021). All of our other stats are improving.

The most popular book, read by four challengers, was The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.

The most popular TIOLI challenge, with 28 books read, was the one by @Carmenere to read a book that names a flower or garden in the fourth chapter.

The two challenges with the most TIOLI points (four each) were these:
---Read a book that was a winner or finalist for the Nebula Awards between 2001 and 2025 by @susanna.fraser
---Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize by @Kristelh

Ever onward, loyal challengers!

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry that I messed up things for you Suzanne! Getting old certainly hasn't helped me get better at things. I will try to take things slower and hopefully will not make more mistakes!

>111 DeltaQueen50: Don't feel bad, DQ. I'm sure all of us have done something similar inadvertently. I think it's best to speak up when we know something's amiss. That helps everyone! I'm just glad I got that gremlin theory dissolved (at least for the wiki...but not for Suz's glasses...haha).

>112 SqueakyChu: Thanks, Madelaine. I promise that I don't have Suz's glasses! Although I do keep a pair in every room since I misplace mine frequently!

>100 Chatterbox: Isn't there a name for feeling guilty over something it's unlikely you did? That's always me, so I'm glad I didn't do it. I blame poltergeists. They're always causing me trouble.

>106 dallenbaugh: Thank you, Donna. I appreciate the kind words.

>107 AnneDC: I saw the update, Anne. Thank you for taking care of that for me.

>109 Kristelh: Yep! I want everyone to feel like winners!

>111 DeltaQueen50: PLEASE don't feel bad.

I know that one of the cats hid my glasses. Or the gremlins. Or it's just my own brain short circuiting.

So, is the wiki down yet again??

>116 Chatterbox: The wiki is down for me too, Suzanne, at least at the moment.

The other night when I was finishing up the TIOLI prizes from April I walked to the back of my house from the front and in those few moments, the wiki went from being up to being down.

The wiki is down for me at this time. :(

>30 Chatterbox: Within Tales of Nevèrÿon Samuel Delany uses K. Leslie Steiner (introduction) and S.L. Kermet(appendices), thus applying 3 entire names to this work. Not saying it meets your qualifications, but it is an amusement.

>119 quondame: That is entertaining... Sadly, if K. Leslie Steiner had been a co-author (vs writing the intro the main book), that would have qualified. And yes, that's very creative having three separate people each with individual names!!

>110 SqueakyChu: There was an article in the local paper (this is far north New Zealand, fairly rural, an area with about 100,000 people, half in the small city) saying that borrowing at a local library has increased 6% over last year (with individual users increasing by 3%). So I'm wondering if economic uncertainty since March is decreasing book buying, and therefore our shared reads. I personally found it much harder to join in a shared read when I was relying on the library as opposed to purchasing ebooks.

>121 jeanned: I am really happy to hear that library use has gone up (at least in New Zealand). I worry now, with all of the defundings of things related to books/libraries these days in the US, what harmful effects this will have on book availablity here in my county (USA). :(

Economic uncertainty sure plays a big part in available reads. *sigh*

The April 2025 TIOLI Awards!

The Sweet Avian Friends Award Goes to @antqueen for reading The Genius of Birds and to @susanna.fraser for reading The Thing With Feathers for the challenge by lindapanzo to read a book about nature. The reason for this award is that I'm all hyped up this month about birds because we have a nest of baby chickadees in our birdhouse. They are sooo cute! I peeked into their house the other day with a flashlight just to be sure they were really there!

The Lovable Creatures Award g0es to @JeanneD for reading The House of Broken Angels and to @Citizenjoyce for reading The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock for the challenge by cbl_tn to read a book with a supernatural creature in the title or author's name. All of the creatures in the other listed books were too creepy!! :D

The Friendship Award goes to @figsfromthistle for the challenge to read a book written by a Canadian Author published after 2010. Despite the convicted orange felon's campaign to malign Canada, I love that country and firmly stand with Canada and its residents in friendship!!!

The Remembering a Dear Tutor Award goes to @Chatterbox for the challenge to read a book written by Jane Austen, about Austen, or a literary homage. This award is in honor of @lyzard who tutored me and others in books by Jane Austen. She later went on to tutor me in gothic novels. Over the past few years, she has disappeared from LT, and I've not been able to trace her. I hope all is well with her and miss her presence on LT very much. I do love remembering our fabulous tutored reads over the years.

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

>123 SqueakyChu: Oh wow! Thanks for the award. I joined someone for a shared read, but they weren't able to read it in April (don't remember who, but thank you for setting me on the path). I had recently read The Hummingbird's Daughter and loved it, so I was primed to read another book by Urrea. He didn't disappoint with The House of Broken Angels: I laughed and cried.

>123 SqueakyChu: Oh dear, it looks like I won that award by deception. That mermaid was pretty creepy.

>125 Citizenjoyce: Oh, sorry. I guess I still picture mermaids the way I saw in them in the "Little Mermaid" books I used to read to my daughter! LOL!

>126 SqueakyChu: That's kind of the direction I was thinking. The creepiness came as a surprise. It was a good book, though, despite it.

>123 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award! I actually had a mourning dove nesting right outside a window while I was reading it, which was neat to watch.

Congratulations Winners!

TIOLI Question of the month:

At what point and in what book that you read this month did, you stop and think "Oh, No!!"? Which book was it, what happened, and why did you have that reaction?

>123 SqueakyChu: Congratulations to all the winners! Love to see them!

I miss seeing Liz around too, Madeline.

>130 SqueakyChu: I had to DNF Chester Himes' autobiography, My Life of Absurdity. In chapter 1, he talks about repeatedly raping a girl, by chapter 4 it seemed like his entire life revolved around sex as he was going to f*** (a word that appeared far too frequently for my taste) every woman he saw, and at that point I decided my life was too short to endure any more.

>130 SqueakyChu: I had to say "Oh No" and abandon 3 books I had selected for the Joy challenge, #16:
Happiness by Aminatta Forna starts out talking about a wolf hunter. No, I'm not going to read a book about killing animals, no matter how profound.
The Trouble with Happiness: And Other Stories - Tove Ditlevsen - It's so depressing with one disappointing marriage after another. I read about 3 stories before calling it quits.
I Curse You with Joy by Tiffany Haddish She performs this book rather than just reading it, so it would be very funny except for the fact that she uses the language skills of a horny 15 year old boy. I made it 18% of the way through. I guess I'm a fuddy-duddy because I couldn't take the vulgarity.
Now I'm reading Joy: Poet, Seeker, and the Woman Who Captivated C. S. Lewis
by Santamaria, Abigail. I know he was a Christian writer, and she eventually converted to Christianity - I hate religious books - but she was also an intellectual, and they had a profound love for each other, so I'm giving it a try.

>131 alcottacre: >132 Citizenjoyce: Whoa! That was some rough reading for both of you. I'm trying to read books for pleasure now. I do read an occasional difficult book (like one I have now about Kristalnacht), but those I read for the knowledge. Kudos to both of you for recognizing books that you don't enjoy and being willing to move on to other, more pleasurable reads.

>133 SqueakyChu: I know some people feel obligated to finish whatever book they start, like it or not. I think I would hate reading if I had that constraint. The older I get, the less constrained I am about sticking with things and books I don't like.
>131 alcottacre: Tiffany Haddish would probably wipe the floor with him, but I wouldn't want to observe that mess.

>134 izzymae: We don't need a list of your books on this TIOLI Challenge thread. You can list your books on your own thread. You can start your own thread here.

You can also list your books in each individual TIOLI challenge, but be sure to mark each of them COMPLETED if you finish them before the end of the month.

Welcome!

>132 Citizenjoyce:. That was a lot of not so joyful books I also detest overuse and unneeded uses of vulgarity, so I’m there with the fuddy duddies. I will be curious how the Joy book by Abigail Santamaria goes for you.

>137 Kristelh: Ugh, people trying to prove the existence of god and that logically it follows that Jesus is god - really, not my favorite reading, but I'm learning about Joy Davidman and finding her fascinating.

>132 Citizenjoyce: >137 Kristelh: I have one exception from my 'fuddy duddy' rules and that is pretty much it so add me to the "f-d" list.

>139 alcottacre: My grandmother was pretty much the saint of the family. Everyone loved her, she would help out anyone in need, and she was the best cook in the world. She also rarely got through a sentence without using a swear word, but she was never vulgar. I don't know how some people can manage that; it doesn't work for most people. Or maybe it's just that I never knew her to be any other way, so she seemed like a normal, loving grandmother to me. But I hate to hear it from anyone else.

>137 Kristelh: The Abigail Santamaria book ended up being quite a surprise. She doesn't romanticize Joy Davidman at all, and the love story ended up not being profound but rather mutually satisfying. Davidman was intelligent and hard working, but Santamaria doesn't skip any of her imperfections. She was shown to be self-serving, even manipulative, and she threw herself completely into whatever spiritual story fit at the time. She was an atheist, a communist, then a Christian, then a Dianetics practitioner, then she built her nest in C. S. Lewis, where she stayed. And C. S. Lewis, the long-time bachelor, is shown to be that dreamy professor that all the girls in the class fall for. It was not at all what I expected.

>141 Citizenjoyce:. thank you for that interesting summary. Very intriguing.

>123 SqueakyChu: I'm all hyped up this month about birds because we have a nest of baby chickadees in our birdhouse.

Chickadees are tied with crows as my favorites among my backyard bird visitors--they're just such jaunty, bold little guys! We have lots of the black-capped variety and a good number of chestnut-backed.

>140 Citizenjoyce: Yeah, I am not a big fan of it from anyone. I grew up in a household where swearing was not allowed, went to work for a company at the beginning of my professional career that flat out told us it was 'unprofessional' to swear, and just never got into the habit myself.

>141 Citizenjoyce: I am going to have to get ahold of the Abigail Santamaria book. Thanks for putting it on my radar!

>142 Kristelh: Our chickadee babies are gone. I opened the birdhouse and was surprised to see how much moss lined the nest. It was so interesting! I miss those chickadees. I'll clean out their house and see if the pair come back for a second brood. We've only had wrens in that birdhouse in the past. I was so delighted that we had chickadees this time.

>145 SqueakyChu: What an exciting process. I hope you get a second batch.

>145 SqueakyChu:. I've never had a chickadee in my houses. I have one that the wren usually takes but I think it is empty this year. I always have baby robins usually under the deck. Do you have a feeder, wonder if they bring their babies?

>142 Kristelh: I do have a feeder, but baby chickadees only eat insects. The adult chickadees eat nuts and seeds from feeders.

>145 SqueakyChu: I guess I don't know a whole lot about chickadees but they've always been a favorite bird.

>148 SqueakyChu: I think they’re so cute!! Much sweeter than wrens.

>150 SqueakyChu: I get red-wing blackbirds every winter, they're gone now. Other than that, all I usually get are wrens and pigeons. I used to get grackles and northern mockingbirds, but I guess the pigeons make them uncomfortable.

>151 Citizenjoyce: We have grackles here, too. They are bullies at the feeder!! We see an occasional mockingbird, but the red-winged blackbirds are almost always confined to nature reserves/areas. Fortunately pigeons have not yet found our feeder.

>151 Citizenjoyce: Grackles are bullies. I've seen them kill wrens more than once, so I'm surprised that the pigeons keep them away. Bullies or not, I'd rather have grackles. It took years for the pigeons to find my backyard. At first, it was only ring-necked doves. That lasted for months, then, alas, the whole rest of the troop discovered the easy pickings. All my feeders are squirrel proof, which mostly means the pigeons can't get to them, but they're very happy eating the seeds that are knocked to the ground and playing or sitting in the bird baths.

>82 dallenbaugh: The way I say it it does, so go for it!

>154 quondame: Thank you.

Anyone else getting 504 Gateway Timeout errors when trying to access the wiki?

>156 alcottacre: I had been earlier, but it seems to be working now

>157 bell7: The wiki came up for me, allowed me to edit, and then promptly would not save the edit and I got another 504 error. I guess it hates me.

>158 alcottacre: It works for me now. Sorry, Stasia!

...and doesn't work for me currently

I was just able to get into the wiki and log my last three books.

>45 Morphidae: I'm sorry to hear this Morphy. I'm just looking at this thread now.

1. Read a book you *really should* read now (and tell us why) - msg >1 SqueakyChu:
Elven Blood by Mark Stanley (2024)
LT Early Reviewers book (from last year)

2. Read a book where one of the main characters is a young person under the age of 21 - msg >4 DeltaQueen50:
Belinda Goes to Bath by M.C. Beaton (2011)

3. Read a book whose title includes a place you might find a book - msg >5 alcottacre:
Foothills Fae Academy Book Three by Callie Woodridge (2024)

4. Read a book by or about someone who has been to prison - msg >7 Citizenjoyce:

5. Re-read a book, or read an author you've previously read - msg >8 Kristelh:
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

6. Read a book by an author with a consecutive double letter in their name - msg >15 lindapanzo:
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

7. Read a book that has a word in the title that is also an authors name - msg >22 Carmenere:
The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson (2016)

8. Read a book by an author who is or has heritage from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives) - msg >27 wandering_star:
9. Read a book that has won at least one award from an author you have never read before and name the award - msg #28
10. Read a book that has been nominated for a Hugo Award - msg >29 susanna.fraser:
11. Read a book by an author who uses three (or more) names - msg >30 Chatterbox:

12. Read a book that includes any word for "mother" in either the title or the author's name - msg >36 LizzieD:
The Murderous Marriage/ 'The Disappearing Trick' by M.C. Beaton (2009)
A Mere Formality by Ilona Andrews

13. Read a book in honor of MrMorphy - msg >45 Morphidae:
Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

14. Read a book where one of the main characters is in their old age - msg >65 avatiakh:
Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart (2015)

15. Read a book with a title of 3 or more single syllable words, no initial a, an, or the - msg >73 quondame:
16. Read a book by/with/about joy - msg >74 Helenliz:

Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews (2009/ 2018)

ETA: If someone can suggest a challenge for the last book, I'd be grateful. I'd like to fit something into challenge 4 (or 15 and 16), ideally, to get a mini-sweep but I really don't think I have anything for it.

I scrolled through the challenges and I don't think I have any shared reads.

Can’t believe it’s the end of the month already. It was a good reading month for me after a few slow months.

Plus I had 3 shared reads which is more than usual for me.

>164 lindapanzo: Yay for shared reads! I am always happy to see those!

I am still trying to finish off a few books before midnight, just like I always am at the end of every month :)

>164 lindapanzo: I'm done for this month and have started on one of my very long books for June. Somehow I managed to list 3 books over 700 pages long, and at my age I find I'm losing patience with authors who can't edit themselves. We'll see if I can do it.

>163 humouress: Oh, guess what. I can't edit the wiki again so I can't enter my books.

>167 humouress: Shoot me a private message when you finally enter your books, Nina. I'll hold off doing the stats for May until I hear from you.

Oops! I missed HOUSEKEEPING DAY last evening because I had a house guest. As soon as the wiki access returns, please enter all the books you COMPLETED by midnight, May 31, or mark the rotating challenges DNF. Thanks so much!

It seems the wiki is back up now.

>169 SqueakyChu: Thank you for the reminder, Madeline. I thought I had pulled all of my unread books off the wiki but I missed a couple.

>168 SqueakyChu: Done!

except for the one I hadn't found a home for.