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 TIOLI challenge for June, 2025 is to...
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Read a book with the word "old" or "new" in the title or a book with a word in the title that rhymes with either "old" or "new".
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Rules:
1. The rhyming word must either be one syllable or have the last syllable rhyming with "old" or new" (e.g. Whoopie would not work, but Waterloo would work).
2. Subtitles will not count.
Some ideas to get you started:
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
That Old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman
A New Song by Jan Karon
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Violets Are Blue by James Patterson
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
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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 June 2025 TIOLI Meter - Optional page on which you may track your TIOLI reading. Not competitive--- just fun!
...logo by cyderry
---------------------------------------------------------------
Your TIOLI challenge for June, 2025 is to...
**********************************************
Read a book with the word "old" or "new" in the title or a book with a word in the title that rhymes with either "old" or "new".
*************************************************
Rules:
1. The rhyming word must either be one syllable or have the last syllable rhyming with "old" or new" (e.g. Whoopie would not work, but Waterloo would work).
2. Subtitles will not count.
Some ideas to get you started:
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
That Old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman
A New Song by Jan Karon
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Violets Are Blue by James Patterson
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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 June 2025 TIOLI Meter - Optional page on which you may track your TIOLI reading. Not competitive--- just fun!
2SqueakyChu
Index of Challenges:
Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book with the word "old" or "new" in the title or a book with a word in the title that rhymes with either "old" or "new" - msg #1
2. Read a book that either has the word ‘question’ in the title or a book whose title includes a question mark - msg #3
3. Read a book with a woman's first name in the title - msg #4
4. Read a book whose title makes you think of a reduction in noise - msg #5
5. Read a book whose title has five words or less and contains at least five vowels - msg #6
6. Read that book you feel ashamed not to have read ye t- msg #7
Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants - msg 8#
8. Read a memoir written by a Soldier, Politician or Mothe - msg #12
9. Read a book with the word or number Zero in the title or subtitle - msg #16
10. Read a book which has language as a theme - msg #19
11. Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card - msg #22
12. Read a book with an event in the title - msg #29
Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book with something bright in the title - msg #32
14. Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005 - msg #34
15. Read a book with the letter combos MO, RP, HI, or DA anywhere or the letter E at the beginning of a word in the title - msg #38
16. Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader - msg #39
Please hold your challenge until the July 2025 TIOLI thread is posted. Thank you.
Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book with the word "old" or "new" in the title or a book with a word in the title that rhymes with either "old" or "new" - msg #1
2. Read a book that either has the word ‘question’ in the title or a book whose title includes a question mark - msg #3
3. Read a book with a woman's first name in the title - msg #4
4. Read a book whose title makes you think of a reduction in noise - msg #5
5. Read a book whose title has five words or less and contains at least five vowels - msg #6
6. Read that book you feel ashamed not to have read ye t- msg #7
Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants - msg 8#
8. Read a memoir written by a Soldier, Politician or Mothe - msg #12
9. Read a book with the word or number Zero in the title or subtitle - msg #16
10. Read a book which has language as a theme - msg #19
11. Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card - msg #22
12. Read a book with an event in the title - msg #29
Challenges #13-18
13. Read a book with something bright in the title - msg #32
14. Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005 - msg #34
15. Read a book with the letter combos MO, RP, HI, or DA anywhere or the letter E at the beginning of a word in the title - msg #38
16. Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader - msg #39
Please hold your challenge until the July 2025 TIOLI thread is posted. Thank you.
3alcottacre
Challenge #2: The “Now There’s a Question” Challenge - a book that either has the word ‘question’ in the title or a book whose title includes a question mark
4lindapanzo
Challenge #3: Read a book with a woman's first name in the title
Note that a woman's name located in the book's subtitle is acceptable.
Note that a woman's name located in the book's subtitle is acceptable.
5dallenbaugh
Challenge # 4 Read a book whose title (or subtitle) makes you think of a reduction in noise
Silent Hearts
The Quiet Librarian
Silent Hearts
The Quiet Librarian
6Chatterbox
Challenge #5: Read a book with a title no more than five words long, but that contains five or more vowels
Where would we be without our vowels? (Just look at the number I've used in that last sentence...) Those five letters do a LOT of work.
Since there are five of them -- a, e, i, o, u (i'm not counting y), your challenge is to read a book whose title is no more than five words long but that has at least five vowels.
You cannot count subtitles for this challenge.
One exception: If you have a book with a super-short title, AND you can demonstrate that the percentage of vowels tops half of the total letters in the title, you can include that. For instance, Evil Eye by Etaf Rum has only four vowels in the title, but that's four out of only seven letters in the title.
I started us off by listing City of Fiction by Hua Yu, which has 5 vowels in a three-word title.
Where would we be without our vowels? (Just look at the number I've used in that last sentence...) Those five letters do a LOT of work.
Since there are five of them -- a, e, i, o, u (i'm not counting y), your challenge is to read a book whose title is no more than five words long but that has at least five vowels.
You cannot count subtitles for this challenge.
One exception: If you have a book with a super-short title, AND you can demonstrate that the percentage of vowels tops half of the total letters in the title, you can include that. For instance, Evil Eye by Etaf Rum has only four vowels in the title, but that's four out of only seven letters in the title.
I started us off by listing City of Fiction by Hua Yu, which has 5 vowels in a three-word title.
7Kristelh
Challenge #6: Reading Shame Forgiveness - read that book you feel ashamed not to have read yet. Whether it's the book that's been on your shelf the longest or one you've told everyone you already read but actually you haven't.
8DeltaQueen50
Challenge #7: Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants
9PawsforThought
>6 Chatterbox: A question: (probably won’t matter to me since I’ll likely only read in English this month, but just to be clear) What about languages that count more vowels than English does? Most of the European languages count Y as only a vowel. Swedish, Norwegian and Danish have nine vowels (Å, Ä/Æ and Ö/Œ).
10Chatterbox
>9 PawsforThought: Good question! I would say that if you are reading the book in the original language, go for it. So if you're reading a book in Danish or Norwegian with a title that includes one of those vowels, fine. If you read it in translation, nope!
However -- it probably wouldn't make a difference if you count it as æ, å, à, etc. as regardless, I'd still count that as an "a" for the purposes of the challenge, so it probably wouldn't change the total count.
The only difference would be the "y". If someone wants to make a case for that, I MAY be receptive, but it would have to be a foreign language book.
That said, I'm intrigued by this, as German and French also have vowels that carry accents -- the French accent aigu, for instance, or the umlaut in German. I don't think I had ever considered them to be distinct letters, but just checked the accent aigu and yup, it is!
An interesting point -- thanks for raising it!!
However -- it probably wouldn't make a difference if you count it as æ, å, à, etc. as regardless, I'd still count that as an "a" for the purposes of the challenge, so it probably wouldn't change the total count.
The only difference would be the "y". If someone wants to make a case for that, I MAY be receptive, but it would have to be a foreign language book.
That said, I'm intrigued by this, as German and French also have vowels that carry accents -- the French accent aigu, for instance, or the umlaut in German. I don't think I had ever considered them to be distinct letters, but just checked the accent aigu and yup, it is!
An interesting point -- thanks for raising it!!
11PawsforThought
>10 Chatterbox: Y is strictly a vowel in the Scandinavian languages (and Finnish). As far as I’m aware, English is the ONLY language that counts Y as a consonant at all (I may be wrong, but it’s certainly true for the languages I’ve learnt or been in more close contact with).
After 30+ years of speaking English, it still takes me off-guard to hear people talk of Y as a consonant.
Anyway, I like the challenge. I need to go though my list of planned reads to see what fits.
After 30+ years of speaking English, it still takes me off-guard to hear people talk of Y as a consonant.
Anyway, I like the challenge. I need to go though my list of planned reads to see what fits.
13SqueakyChu
The wiki is down for me again now. I'm going to report it. :(
14susanna.fraser
Yeah, it was down when I found the new thread four or five hours ago, and still is.
15SqueakyChu
>14 susanna.fraser: Feel free to post your challenge to this thread while the wiki is down. Just don’t number it until after you have joined the wiki queue of challenges! This wiki being down so frequently is really getting to be frustrating.
17Citizenjoyce
>6 Chatterbox: Just to clarify, can you read a book with a subtitle even though you can't count those vowels?
18PawsforThought
>4 lindapanzo: Can the name be embedded?
19wandering_star
Challenge #10: Read a book which has language as a theme
This could be a non-fiction about translation or about learning a language or about how a particular language or languages work (I will be reading The Wordhord, about Old English). For fiction, it could also be about any of these things but could also focus in language in some other way - here are a few suggestions:
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - main character is an interpreter, and her work and use of language is a significant theme of the book
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - science fiction about an ambassador from an outer planet coming to the heart of the Empire - the differences between her native language and culture, and that of the empire, are an important theme in the way that she fits in (or doesn't) to the world around her
The Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh - uses lots of different languages and jargons and slang from different social groups
Deep Wheel Orcadia by Harry Josephine Giles - written in Orcadian (the language of Orkney) with English translation after each chapter
Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks and Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban - partly written in an imagined future dialect of English
This could be a non-fiction about translation or about learning a language or about how a particular language or languages work (I will be reading The Wordhord, about Old English). For fiction, it could also be about any of these things but could also focus in language in some other way - here are a few suggestions:
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - main character is an interpreter, and her work and use of language is a significant theme of the book
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - science fiction about an ambassador from an outer planet coming to the heart of the Empire - the differences between her native language and culture, and that of the empire, are an important theme in the way that she fits in (or doesn't) to the world around her
The Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh - uses lots of different languages and jargons and slang from different social groups
Deep Wheel Orcadia by Harry Josephine Giles - written in Orcadian (the language of Orkney) with English translation after each chapter
Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks and Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban - partly written in an imagined future dialect of English
20Citizenjoyce
>19 wandering_star: Can I use Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us by Amanda Carpenter about the political use of language?
21lindapanzo
>18 PawsforThought: sure that’s fine.
22susanna.fraser
Finally found the wiki available!
Challenge #11: Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card (list the category)
My traditional June challenge. This year's card is here: https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/book-bingo/2025-book...
Challenge #11: Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card (list the category)
My traditional June challenge. This year's card is here: https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/book-bingo/2025-book...
23Chatterbox
>17 Citizenjoyce: Absolutely, you just can't count those vowels (in the subtitle) toward your total count.
24alcottacre
>22 susanna.fraser: Susanna, one of the categories on the Bingo card is "One Big Book," but I see no guidelines as to what constitutes a big book (unless I am overlooking it somewhere.) Any ideas? Am I just missing it? Thanks.
25wandering_star
>20 Citizenjoyce: Yes, that looks like it would fit.
26susanna.fraser
>24 alcottacre: They didn’t offer specific guidelines. I decided I’m going to count the first book I read that’s >500 pages.
27alcottacre
>26 susanna.fraser: That was my guideline as well - 500 pages - so that sounds good to me! Thanks.
29avatiakh
Challenge #12: Read a book with an event in the title
Suggestions:
The Birthday Boys
The Axeman's Carnival
The Siege of Mecca
The Feast of the Goat
The Hunting Party
Suggestions:
The Birthday Boys
The Axeman's Carnival
The Siege of Mecca
The Feast of the Goat
The Hunting Party
30Matke
>19 wandering_star: My flabber is gasted! I’ve never met anyone else who has even heard of the book Wordhord.
I’ll move it to June’s reading.
I’ll move it to June’s reading.
31wandering_star
>30 Matke: I spotted it in one of my favourite independent bookshops, Much Ado Books in Alfriston, Sussex!
33Citizenjoyce
My planned reads:
Challenge #1: Read a book with the word "old" or "new" in the title or a book with a word in the title that rhymes with either "old" or "new" - started by SqueakyChu
*✔The Sweet Blue Distance - Sara Donati (4)
Challenge #2: The “Now There’s a Question” Challenge - a book that either has the word ‘question’ in the title or a book whose title includes a question mark - started by AlcottAcre
*✔The Night in Question - Susan Fletcher (3.5)
Challenge #3: Read a book with a woman's first name in the title - lindapanzo
*✔Ellie and the Harpmaker - Hazel Prior (4)
✔Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong by Katie Gee Salisbury (4.5)
*✔Three Days in June: A Novel - Anne Tyler (3)
Challenge #4: Read a book whose title makes you think of a reduction in noise - dallenbaugh
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
✔Show Don't Tell: Stories - Curtis Sittenfeld (4)
*✔Silent Hearts - Gwen Florio (5)
Challenge #5: Read a book whose title has five words or less and contains at least five vowels - Chatterbox
✔No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson - Gardiner Harris (5)
Challenge #6: Reading Shame Forgiveness - read that book you feel ashamed not to have read yet - Kristelh
✔The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (4)
✔The Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann (4)
✔TRANSCENDENTAL WILD OATS - Louisa May Alcott (5)
Challenge #7: Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants - started by DeltaQueen
✔Happiness Forever: A Novel by Adelaide Faith (3.5)
✔Love Letters to a Serial Killer - Tasha Coryell (3)
Challenge #8: Read a memoir written by a Soldier, Politician or Mother - started by Carmenere
✔The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing - Lara Love Hardin (3.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book with the word or number Zero in the title or subtitle - started by Citizenjoyce
*✔Zero Days - Ruth Ware (3.5)
Challenge #10: Read a book which has language as a theme - started by wandering_star
Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us - Amanda Carpenter ABANDONED
✔Girl in Ice - Erica Ferencik (3.5)
Challenge #11: Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card (list the category) - started by susanna.fraser
✔Aftertaste: A Novel by Daria Lavelle (4)
✔The Early Stories of Philip K. Dick by Philip K. Dick (4)
*✔Memorial Days: A Memoir - Geraldine Brooks (5)
✔The Minority Report and Other Stories bY Philip K. Dick (4.5)
✔Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories By Richard Matheson - Richard Matheson (3.5)
Challenge #12: Read a book with an event in the title - started by avatiakh
✔The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club - Faith Hogan (3.5)
Challenge #13: Read a book with something bright in the title - started by JeanneD
✔On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino (4)
*When Stars are Scattered - Victoria Jamieson
Challenge 14: Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005 - started by humouress
✔Blonde: A Novel - Joyce Carol Oates (4.5)
Challenge 15: Read a book with the letter combos MO, RP, HI, or DA anywhere or the letter E at the beginning of a word in the title- started by Morphidae
*✔How to Summon a Fairy Godmother - Laura J. Mayo (4.5)
Challenge #16: Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader (list the name) - started by countrylife
*✔The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West - - David McCullough (4)
Challenge #1: Read a book with the word "old" or "new" in the title or a book with a word in the title that rhymes with either "old" or "new" - started by SqueakyChu
*✔The Sweet Blue Distance - Sara Donati (4)
Challenge #2: The “Now There’s a Question” Challenge - a book that either has the word ‘question’ in the title or a book whose title includes a question mark - started by AlcottAcre
*✔The Night in Question - Susan Fletcher (3.5)
Challenge #3: Read a book with a woman's first name in the title - lindapanzo
*✔Ellie and the Harpmaker - Hazel Prior (4)
✔Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong by Katie Gee Salisbury (4.5)
*✔Three Days in June: A Novel - Anne Tyler (3)
Challenge #4: Read a book whose title makes you think of a reduction in noise - dallenbaugh
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
✔Show Don't Tell: Stories - Curtis Sittenfeld (4)
*✔Silent Hearts - Gwen Florio (5)
Challenge #5: Read a book whose title has five words or less and contains at least five vowels - Chatterbox
✔No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson - Gardiner Harris (5)
Challenge #6: Reading Shame Forgiveness - read that book you feel ashamed not to have read yet - Kristelh
✔The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (4)
✔The Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann (4)
✔TRANSCENDENTAL WILD OATS - Louisa May Alcott (5)
Challenge #7: Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants - started by DeltaQueen
✔Happiness Forever: A Novel by Adelaide Faith (3.5)
✔Love Letters to a Serial Killer - Tasha Coryell (3)
Challenge #8: Read a memoir written by a Soldier, Politician or Mother - started by Carmenere
✔The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing - Lara Love Hardin (3.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book with the word or number Zero in the title or subtitle - started by Citizenjoyce
*✔Zero Days - Ruth Ware (3.5)
Challenge #10: Read a book which has language as a theme - started by wandering_star
Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us - Amanda Carpenter ABANDONED
✔Girl in Ice - Erica Ferencik (3.5)
Challenge #11: Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card (list the category) - started by susanna.fraser
✔Aftertaste: A Novel by Daria Lavelle (4)
✔The Early Stories of Philip K. Dick by Philip K. Dick (4)
*✔Memorial Days: A Memoir - Geraldine Brooks (5)
✔The Minority Report and Other Stories bY Philip K. Dick (4.5)
✔Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories By Richard Matheson - Richard Matheson (3.5)
Challenge #12: Read a book with an event in the title - started by avatiakh
✔The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club - Faith Hogan (3.5)
Challenge #13: Read a book with something bright in the title - started by JeanneD
✔On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino (4)
*When Stars are Scattered - Victoria Jamieson
Challenge 14: Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005 - started by humouress
✔Blonde: A Novel - Joyce Carol Oates (4.5)
Challenge 15: Read a book with the letter combos MO, RP, HI, or DA anywhere or the letter E at the beginning of a word in the title- started by Morphidae
*✔How to Summon a Fairy Godmother - Laura J. Mayo (4.5)
Challenge #16: Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader (list the name) - started by countrylife
*✔The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West - - David McCullough (4)
34humouress
Challenge 14: Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005
BBC World Service's World Book Club is where 'the world's great authors discuss their best-known novel'. There have been monthly podcasts since September 2002; broadcast dates are noted in the explanations. Note: many episodes have been repeated.
List: https://www.librarything.com/list/45293/BBC-World-Book-Club (sort by 'Added' to get the list by broadcast date order)
Links: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003jhsk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003jhsk/episodes/downloads
ETA: could someone please add this to the wiki for me? The Captcha wheel is just spinning. Whether it's the ongoing wiki issues or local to me (that was happening a lot earlier in the year), I don't know.
BBC World Service's World Book Club is where 'the world's great authors discuss their best-known novel'. There have been monthly podcasts since September 2002; broadcast dates are noted in the explanations. Note: many episodes have been repeated.
List: https://www.librarything.com/list/45293/BBC-World-Book-Club (sort by 'Added' to get the list by broadcast date order)
Links: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003jhsk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003jhsk/episodes/downloads
ETA: could someone please add this to the wiki for me? The Captcha wheel is just spinning. Whether it's the ongoing wiki issues or local to me (that was happening a lot earlier in the year), I don't know.
35alcottacre
>34 humouress: I took care of it for you, Nina. It is on the wiki now.
36humouress
>35 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia :0)
37alcottacre
>36 humouress: No problem. Happy to help!
38Morphidae
Challenge 15: Read a book with the letter combos MO, RP, HI, or DA anywhere in or the letter E at the beginning of a word in the title
It's my favorite month of the year with my birthday (60th - yikes!!!) and anniversary (35th) mid- to late month so it's all about me! LOL.
*******
* The letter combos "MO", "RP", "HI, and "DA" need to stay together but can be in any part of a word in the title or subtitle. They also can be across two words.
* The letter "E" needs to be at the beginning of a word in the title or subtitle
Examples coming.
It's my favorite month of the year with my birthday (60th - yikes!!!) and anniversary (35th) mid- to late month so it's all about me! LOL.
*******
* The letter combos "MO", "RP", "HI, and "DA" need to stay together but can be in any part of a word in the title or subtitle. They also can be across two words.
* The letter "E" needs to be at the beginning of a word in the title or subtitle
Examples coming.
39countrylife
Challenge #16 : Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader
Read a book with a character who shares the name of a military leader of the American Revolutionary War (United States side).
Either first or last name. Kudos for a character with both.
I'm excluding these common names so the challenge isn't TOO easy.
Charles, George, James, John, Joseph, Robert, Thomas, William.
If multiple characters work, choose one to list on the wiki.
A list of those military leaders' names.
Read a book with a character who shares the name of a military leader of the American Revolutionary War (United States side).
Either first or last name. Kudos for a character with both.
I'm excluding these common names so the challenge isn't TOO easy.
Charles, George, James, John, Joseph, Robert, Thomas, William.
If multiple characters work, choose one to list on the wiki.
A list of those military leaders' names.
40alcottacre
>39 countrylife: Is it OK for the military leader to not be American? The U.S. had allies who were not but were in positions of leadership.
41alcottacre
Duplicate post
42countrylife
>40 alcottacre: - Yes. As long as they're not leaders of the British.
43alcottacre
>42 countrylife: Thanks!
44Chatterbox
>39 countrylife: You should give MAJOR bonus points to anyone who can find a book with a character named Artemas... :-)
45alcottacre
It is that time of the month again - PRIZE TIME!!
Mini-Sweeplettes in May:
dallenbaugh for challenges 1-3
DeltaQueen for challenges 1-3
humouress for challenges 1-3
susanna.fraser for challenges 13-15
Sweeplettes in May
AnneDC for challenges 1-6
Kristelh for challenges 1-6
lindapanzo for challenges 1-6
dallenbaugh for challenges 7-12
raidergirl3 for challenges 7-12
Sweeps in May:
AlcottAcre
avatiakh - First ever sweep!!
bell7 - First ever sweep!!
Chatterbox
Citizenjoyce
Countrylife
Quondame
Congratulations to all our prize winners!! Great to see the return of so many sweeplettes!!
As always, if I made any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct my error.
Mini-Sweeplettes in May:
dallenbaugh for challenges 1-3
DeltaQueen for challenges 1-3
humouress for challenges 1-3
susanna.fraser for challenges 13-15
Sweeplettes in May
AnneDC for challenges 1-6
Kristelh for challenges 1-6
lindapanzo for challenges 1-6
dallenbaugh for challenges 7-12
raidergirl3 for challenges 7-12
Sweeps in May:
AlcottAcre
avatiakh - First ever sweep!!
bell7 - First ever sweep!!
Chatterbox
Citizenjoyce
Countrylife
Quondame
Congratulations to all our prize winners!! Great to see the return of so many sweeplettes!!
As always, if I made any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct my error.
47alcottacre
>46 humouress: If I were giving out shelves for prizes, I would take them all for myself, Nina! Lol
48avatiakh
>45 alcottacre: I think you missed the book I completed in challenge #7, Marble HAll Murders, which gives me my first completed sweep.
49Citizenjoyce
>48 avatiakh: Congratulations!
50alcottacre
>48 avatiakh: Sorry about that Kerry! I will correct my omission!
Congratulations on your first ever sweep!
Congratulations on your first ever sweep!
51avatiakh
>49 Citizenjoyce: >50 alcottacre: Thanks, it was one of those months when all the challenges lined up well for me.
53SqueakyChu
>45 alcottacre: Wow! Lots of sweepers this month! Congrats to all, especially Kerry on her first ever sweep!!
54bell7
>45 alcottacre: I should actually have a sweep, too, Stasia (my first! and probably only lol). I read The Tomb of Dragons for challenge 5 and both A Far Better Thing and The Glassblower for challenge 6.
55lindapanzo
Congrats to all the winners but especially to the first ever sweepers. A job well done.
56alcottacre
>54 bell7: Obviously I was too tired to be doing the stats last night. Sorry, Mary. I will fix it.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
57Citizenjoyce
>54 bell7: Another surprise sweep, congratulations.
58bell7
>56 alcottacre: No worries, Stasia, you had a lot to try to compile! Thanks for taking it on :)
>57 Citizenjoyce: Thank you!
>57 Citizenjoyce: Thank you!
59SqueakyChu
>54 bell7: Congrats on your first sweep, Mary! That's terrific!!
60avatiakh
>54 bell7: Congratulations on your first sweep!
61alcottacre
I am loving seeing how much participation there is in the minis, sweeplettes, and sweeps every month! I want people to embrace the challenges and I want everyone to have a chance to accomplish something. We are never too old to feel good about getting some goal, right?
62SqueakyChu
TIOLI Stats for May, 2025!
Most stats are good for May, 2025. We read a total of 317 books, of which 60 (19%) were shared reads. We collected 33 TIOLI points for a May YTD total of 160 TIOLI points. The YTD total was not quite as good as in 2024 and 2023, but it beat 2022.
The most popular book, read by 4 challengers was The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden.
The most popular challenge, with 41 books read, was the one by @lindapanzo to read a book by an author with a consecutive double letter in their name.
The challenge with the most TIOLI points (4) was the one by @Morphidae to read a book in honor of MrMorphy.
Ever onward, fellow challengers!
Most stats are good for May, 2025. We read a total of 317 books, of which 60 (19%) were shared reads. We collected 33 TIOLI points for a May YTD total of 160 TIOLI points. The YTD total was not quite as good as in 2024 and 2023, but it beat 2022.
The most popular book, read by 4 challengers was The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden.
The most popular challenge, with 41 books read, was the one by @lindapanzo to read a book by an author with a consecutive double letter in their name.
The challenge with the most TIOLI points (4) was the one by @Morphidae to read a book in honor of MrMorphy.
Ever onward, fellow challengers!
63Chatterbox
Is the wiki down again or is it just me? I keep getting a 504 time out.
64DeltaQueen50
>63 Chatterbox: I am getting the same message when I try to enter the Wiki.
65lindapanzo
>63 Chatterbox: >64 DeltaQueen50: I’m having the same problem. The Bug Collectors have reports and it was supposed to be fixed soon.
UPDATE: It's working as of 12:50 pm central.
UPDATE: It's working as of 12:50 pm central.
66SqueakyChu
TIOLI Question of the Month
Which character in a book you've read this month would you describe as "exasperating"? :D Who was the character? What was the book? Why would you use this term to describe that character?
Which character in a book you've read this month would you describe as "exasperating"? :D Who was the character? What was the book? Why would you use this term to describe that character?
67Kristelh
Gwendolen in Daniel Deronda. She was so spoiled and self centered. She was a character to dislike but probably the most developed character in the novel.
68quondame
>66 SqueakyChu: Gavor in The Call of the Sword, is a talking bird that ends every statement with "dear boy." I wanted to wring his neck.
69SqueakyChu
>68 quondame: Your answer made me laugh! I have a feeling that more of these answers will do so as well. :)
70Citizenjoyce
>66 SqueakyChu: Ellie from Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior keeps making excuses for her psychologically abusive husband because he loves her, and he’s her rock, and what would she do without him? Aargh! Yes, these women exist, and we hope that given time and support they’ll save themselves, but in the meantime, it’s certainly hard on anyone else who’s in their lives
71DeltaQueen50
>66 SqueakyChu: I found Elena in The Story of the Lost Child a very tiresome charater. Self-absorbed and jealous her whining seemed non-stop.
72Kristelh
>71 DeltaQueen50: I so agree DQ!
73jeanned
I quite enjoyed Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. However, two-year-old Emma speaks like she's 6, or 8. I find it exasperating when very young characters are portrayed with such inaccuracy, although it certainly isn't Emma's fault.
74Citizenjoyce
>73 jeanned: I haven't read the book, but I agree about the annoyance with very young characters being portrayed as much older than their years.
75susanna.fraser
>66 SqueakyChu: Sideways Pike in the Scapegracers trilogy can be exasperating in her sheer reckless disregard for personal safety and habit of acting first and thinking afterward, but she's a realistic teenager that way.
76Chatterbox
More wiki problems?? Good grief.
77Citizenjoyce
>76 Chatterbox: Maybe the Goodreads people are sabotaging us.
78Chatterbox
>77 Citizenjoyce: Because we're a serious group of people who don't just catalog and rate books but READ them??
79lindapanzo
The wiki seems to come and go for me. Very annoying. I want to get in and add/delete something when I want to but I'm having to leave notes for myself since it's been so unreliable.
80SqueakyChu
I’m having a weird problem that the site seems to freeze for me. Is that happening to anyone else? Both on my phone and pc. :(
81Citizenjoyce
>78 Chatterbox: I don't know. The errors seem to come too frequently to be just errors.
82elkiedee
I'm having trouble with various sites freezing. I'm wondering if it's linked to AI changes making sites more power and bandwidth hungry. Though my laptop is now quite old too.
And I really wish that LT would get rid of the stupid stuff that comes up when what I want to do, often searching for books and amending details, goes wrong. At the moment I'm having trouble with author's names from other languages - I bought a Kindle book, Ordinary Saints by an Irish woman with an Irish Gaelic name with accents on it - and then was really struggling to make sure author's name spellings for this copy and 6 already catalogued copies (of other editions) matched so as to bring copies of the same book together.
And I really wish that LT would get rid of the stupid stuff that comes up when what I want to do, often searching for books and amending details, goes wrong. At the moment I'm having trouble with author's names from other languages - I bought a Kindle book, Ordinary Saints by an Irish woman with an Irish Gaelic name with accents on it - and then was really struggling to make sure author's name spellings for this copy and 6 already catalogued copies (of other editions) matched so as to bring copies of the same book together.
83SqueakyChu
>82 elkiedee: My issue is that only LT has been freezing on me. Not today so far, though. Fingers crossed.
84PawsforThought
Issues with freezing could be router-related. My old router had beef with my work laptop and would freeze the internet connection if I used it for more than one hour at a time. Kind of it to want to keep my work-life balance in check but a bit annoying when working from home.
85SqueakyChu
>84 PawsforThought: I have a new router. Today all seems well.
86SqueakyChu
Now it's freezing again. I posted my message to the Bugs Group. This might make posting next month's TIOLI challenge a bit of a problem!
87quondame
>7 Kristelh: Well, I have to read a sheaf of trust documents, and was feeling put out that it's taking time from my pleasure and challenge reading. But alas, it doesn't really enter the "read yet" category, since it just landed on my last week.
88avatiakh
I've had a really mediocre reading month after the highs of last month, so have been taking the 'Leave it' option on a lot of books I listed. Hope to finish two more books by the end of today.
89alcottacre
>88 avatiakh: I seemingly always have to use the 'Leave it' option, Kerry, so you are not the only one!
90SqueakyChu
>88 avatiakh: >89 alcottacre: I’m a big “leave it” person as well. Often it’s not because I don’t like a book. Rather it’s that I try to read too many books at once, so many just get dropped in the course of time!
91avatiakh
>89 alcottacre: >90 SqueakyChu: I start a lot of books and do want to finish them but life and library book due dates get in the way. This month it was the Israel/Iran scuffle, I spent a lot of time on X instead of reading.
I like the serendipity of shared reads, so sometimes add books to see if someone else is sitting on the same book.
I like the serendipity of shared reads, so sometimes add books to see if someone else is sitting on the same book.
92alcottacre
>90 SqueakyChu: >91 avatiakh: I always overcommit because I am such a moody reader. It can be the best book in the world, but if I am not in the mood to read it, forget about it.
I love doing the shared reads, Kerry, and am always on the lookout for them! Shared reads are one of my favorite things about TIOLI.
I love doing the shared reads, Kerry, and am always on the lookout for them! Shared reads are one of my favorite things about TIOLI.
93SqueakyChu
>91 avatiakh: ...and I was doing the same thing on BlueSky for the same reason, then getting depressed and anxious, then reading even less. I didn't know people were still on X. I've been boycotting it for quite a while.
>92 alcottacre: Me, too! I only want to read what I want to and when I want to. That's why I can never join a book club (and thought up the TIOLI challenges in the first place. Ha!).
>91 avatiakh: >92 alcottacre: I love the shared reads although I've been reading so slowly I never make it through them. I can try, though! :) I thought of shared reads because it's easier to talk to someone else about a book when it's fresh in one's mind.
>92 alcottacre: Me, too! I only want to read what I want to and when I want to. That's why I can never join a book club (and thought up the TIOLI challenges in the first place. Ha!).
>91 avatiakh: >92 alcottacre: I love the shared reads although I've been reading so slowly I never make it through them. I can try, though! :) I thought of shared reads because it's easier to talk to someone else about a book when it's fresh in one's mind.
94SqueakyChu
Housekeeping Day!
It's here again. That day that you have to finish your books and mark them COMPLETE by midnight tonight or remove them from the wiki. That is, except for rolling challenges which can simply be marked DNF.
It's here again. That day that you have to finish your books and mark them COMPLETE by midnight tonight or remove them from the wiki. That is, except for rolling challenges which can simply be marked DNF.
95Carmenere
Housekeeping completed. Some I just deleted buy at least one of those fit in a July challenge. Yay!
96humouress
My reading has slowed this month as I'm travelling with my family in Europe - though I did manage an LT meet-up in London - and I've only managed a book and a half since leaving home.
But I don't commit ahead to the TIOLI for the month since I don't read as fast as a lot of folks here and I decide what to read after I finish the previous book. A couple of times I've tried lining up something to read and then decided against it and have given up trying to plan ahead - so the 'leave it' aspect doesn't come into it for me.
Challenge 3. Read a book with a woman's first name in the title
Penelope Goes to Portsmouth by M.C. Beaton (1991/ 2011)
Challenge 5. Read a book whose title has five words or less and contains at least five vowels
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Challenge 7. Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
(shared read)
Challenge 11. Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card (Flower on the Cover/In Title)
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
Challenge 14. Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005
Northern Lights aka The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
(shared read)
Challenge 16. Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader (The Hon. Alexander Leslie/ Alexander Rokeby)
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
But I don't commit ahead to the TIOLI for the month since I don't read as fast as a lot of folks here and I decide what to read after I finish the previous book. A couple of times I've tried lining up something to read and then decided against it and have given up trying to plan ahead - so the 'leave it' aspect doesn't come into it for me.
Challenge 3. Read a book with a woman's first name in the title
Penelope Goes to Portsmouth by M.C. Beaton (1991/ 2011)
Challenge 5. Read a book whose title has five words or less and contains at least five vowels
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Challenge 7. Read a book whose title has at least one set of consecutive double letters that are consonants
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
(shared read)
Challenge 11. Read a book which meets a category on the 2025 Seattle Public Library book bingo card (Flower on the Cover/In Title)
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
Challenge 14. Read a book discussed by the BBC World Book Club in 2005
Northern Lights aka The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
(shared read)
Challenge 16. Read a book with a character who shares the name of an American Revolutionary War leader (The Hon. Alexander Leslie/ Alexander Rokeby)
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
97wandering_star
>94 SqueakyChu: please can I have an extension on my housekeeping? I won't be at my computer until Wednesday and whenever I try editing on my phone I end up accidentally deleting things. Thank you
98Citizenjoyce
>96 humouress: I love your fantasy reads. I put The Spellshop on hold, but there are 23 people ahead of me. I was able to get The Foxglove King. Now I have to see if I have time for another 500 page book.
99SqueakyChu
>97 wandering_star: Sure! Just private message me when you're done. Take your time. All we be well.
100wandering_star
Thank you!
101alcottacre
>99 SqueakyChu: >100 wandering_star: Could you keep me posted as well? I try to put the list of monthly 'prizes' up no later than the 4th of the following month - if the wiki behaves itself!
Thanks.
Thanks.
102humouress
>98 Citizenjoyce: Thank you! The Spellshop seems to be flavour of the month but I recently read another book by Sarah Beth Durst, inspired by @connie53 in the ROOTs group who seems to be intent on reading her whole oeuvre.
103wandering_star
>101 alcottacre: Will do!
104alcottacre
>103 wandering_star: Thank you. I appreciate that!
105alcottacre
Just a reminder that I will be posting the monthly prizes tomorrow. Please ensure that the wiki for June is updated. Thank you!
