Take It or Leave It Challenge - June 2021 - Page 1

For those new to this challenge: More info and monthly index can be found in post #1 of this thread or this TIOLI FAQS wiki.


...logo by cyderry

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Your challenge for June 2021 is to...

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Read a book with a liquid on the front cover.
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No! Don't pour your coffee or your tea on your book! The liquid has to be virtual. :D

Rules:
(1) The liquid may be a title word or a word embedded in or across words of the title, author's name or other words found on the front cover.
(2) The qualifying liquid may be a picture of a liquid (e.g. raindrops, a martini, a teardrop, a can of paint).
(3) You don't have to see the liquid (as in the turpentine example above), but you have to presume the can has some liquid in it and is not completely dry! Do not ask me to qualify a picture of an empty glass!
(4) I will even accept a map of a body of water whether or not it has a name label attached to it.

Be creative! Let's see what you come up with!
Have fun.

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

1. The June 2021 TIOLI Meter - Optional page on which you may track your TIOLI reading. FYI: This is not meant to be competitive - only fun!
2. Morphidae's List of Previous TIOLI Challenges - You may use this reference (Do a control-F scan) to avoid repeating a previous challenge. If your idea is similar to a previous challenge, just make it unique by adding a new "twist" to it.
3. FAMeulstee's 2021 TIOLI Sweeplette Meter

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Supplementary thread --- In the past, this thread was used to talk about the pandemic which had been weighing heavily on each of us. Going forward, this thread is open to all supplementary talk. Should you think you are too far off topic for the main thread, well, just skip over there for a group conversation about almost anything!

Link to our SUPPLEMENTARY THREAD

Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book with a liquid on the front cover - msg #1
2. Read a Western - msg #3
3. Read a book with a standalone capital letter in the title - msg #4
4. Tagmash Rolling Challenge - Read a book which has a tag from the previous book - msg #6
5. Read a book with a flower in the title or author's name - msg #7
6. Read a book that completes a square in Seattle Public Library's 2021 Book Bingo card - msg #8

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book in honor of Morphidae's 56th birthday (rolling) - msg #9
8. Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter - msg #10
9. Read a book where The title is shorter than the author's name - msg #12
10. Read a novel written by a politician or journalist - msg #16
11. Read a books whose title take the form "The xxx of yyyy" - msg #14
12. Read a book where the first name of the writer comes alphabetically before the last name - msg #15

Challenges #13-16
13. Read a non-fiction book about some aspect of nature - msg #19
14. Read a book where the title and the author’s name both have a double letter in them- msg #50
15. Read a book that shares a common word with a book title or author’s name that is #65 on any LT list AND that you read in the past - msg #51
16. Read a book whose title starts with the word "who","what," "when", "where," "why," or "how." - msg #79

Hold your challenge until the July TIOLI challenges are posted. Thank you.

Challenge #2: Read a Western

It can be an American Western or a western-type book set elsewhere.

Purely self serving as I'm in the mood to read a few.

Challenge #3: Read a book with a standalone capital letter in the title

Books that qualify include:

1. English-language books with 'A' or 'I' in the title.

2. Any use of an initial for a person or thing, with or without a fullstop after it.

3. Acronyms (FBI, TNT) with or without fullstops, but not abbreviations (Mr, Dr).

Any other variations welcome!

Afterthought: I will accept (for example) 'M.' as an abbreviation for 'Monsieur', as it is in the correct format. Variations along those lines are fine.

Oops, still thinking

Challenge #4: Tagmash Rolling Challenge

Over in the Reading Through Time group, we're finishing up our reads in the 17th century this quarter. Since I often use tagmashes to find my books for that challenge, I thought - heck - I'll make a TIOLI out of it this month.

Read a book which has a tag from the previous listed book's tagmash. List your book, with (1) the tagmash you used, or (2) list 3 of its tags.

Method 1:
Choose one of the tags from the tagmash of the last book listed on the wiki.
Enter that tag/search term, along with two others of your choice, separated by commas, into the search box.
Click TAGS in the left column of the results page.
Click See a Tagmash under your tag search.
Choose a book from the results.

Method 2:
Open the tag cloud on the book you have in mind.
See if a tag there matches one of the three tags in the last tagmash listed.
If so, list that tag, plus two others from the tag cloud of the book, for the next person to choose from.

Challenge #5: Read a book with a flower in the title or author's name

Yes, embedded flowers are acceptable

Challenge #6: Read a book that completes a square in Seattle Public Library's 2021 Book Bingo card

My annual self-serving challenge. The card is available here:

https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/learning/summer-of-learning/2021-adult...

Please list the square your book matches.

Challenge #7: Read a book in honor of my 56th birthday (rolling)

Rolling Challenge associated with my birthday on June 18th, 1965. Please fill out each "AMID" (About Me, My Books, Interests, Date) before moving onto the next.

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Examples:
Title, Cover, Author, Publication Date, Page # (ends in), Words in first sentence/paragraph, Words on 6th/18th/56th page, Main or Significant Secondary Character (e.g. job: librarian, born in June, watched a movie, met partner online, has tattoos), Setting (library, Italian restaurant, Florida), Subject, Favorite foods mentioned, Last page number ends in 18/56/65

NOT ISBN

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About Me: Tattoos, Read (past tense) Tarot & did Astrological charts, met husband online, been married 31 years (as of June 23rd), have one brother (Sean), parents divorced when I was a teen, lived in CA, NY, FL & MN, volunteered at the Minnesota Zoo, been a bookkeeper for a non-profit, got Associates in Accounting, Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, Homebound, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia

My Books: Author I've given 4+ stars, Author with Three+ Books in my library, Book entered in my library in 2006 or 2018, Book from my "Quit, Yuck, Ptooey" list, Book from the lists I curated: 111 Science Fiction Books to Read Before a Supernova Kills Us All, 111 Books to Read Before Your Brain Atrophies, 50 Mysteries to Read Before They Find the Body, Book from "What Should I Borrow?"(go to my profile, on left, under "Compare books".)

Note: For book lists, only the first book in a series is mentioned. However, any book in the series qualifies.

Interests: Books, Library, Reading, Movies, Chocolate/Cheese/Pasta, Milk, Ben & Jerry's, Bullet Journaling, iPad/mobile games, Crochet, Cross-stitch, Collage, Drawing, Watercolors, Illustration, Popular Music, Inspirational (not religious music (like "Roar" by Katy Perry, "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alesia Cara, "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson), Animation including: Disney, Pixar, Hayao Miyazaki, List Making, Tags (ATTENTION: go to my profile page, click on "Clouds" then "Tag Cloud", select any large, bolded tag)

Date: June 18, 1965, Friday, Gemini, Year of the Serpent, Generation X, Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite, Rose, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by Four Tops, Popular Baby Names: Lisa & Michael, War of 1812 begins (June 18th), Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815), Celebrity birthdays: Kim Dickens (same), Paul McCartney (1942), Isabella Rossellini (1952), Roger Ebert (1952), George Mallory (1886, part of first British Mount Everest expeditions)

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Let me know if you have any questions or have an idea that isn't mentioned here. I may add it.

Challenge #8: Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter.

June has a number of obscure holidays such as Doughnut Day, Donald Duck Day, Corn on the Cob Day and Red Rose Day. All this letter repetition, gave me the idea for this challenge.

Some examples:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

>10 DeltaQueen50: Do the qualifying words have to be in succession?

Challenge #9: Read a book where The title is shorter than the author's name

The title must be shorter than the author's name as it appears on the cover or title page. So George R.R. Martin'a name is 14 characters - punctuation is not counted. If Kate Elliott is printed on the book, you have 11 characters not Alis A. Rasmussen's 14.

>11 SqueakyChu: No, they do not. Just as long a there is at least two words in the title that start with the same letter.

Challenge #11: Read a books whose title takes the form "The xxx of yyyy"

I think that should be fairly self explanatory. I'll be reading The Children of Jocasta. Both xxx and yyyy can be more than one word.

Challenge #12: Read a book where the first name of the writer comes alphabeticly before the last name

Challenge #10: Read a novel written by a politician or journalist
There are lots of political commentaries out there, but I think I'd like to enjoy some fiction this month. Stacey Abrams has a new book out, While Justice Sleeps which I'll be reading when it comes in. Jake Tapper also has a new novel, The Devil May Dance, but I don't think it will come in in time.

So many good challenges this month. My planned reads:
Challenge #1: Read a book with a liquid on the front cover - started by SqueakyChu
*A Swim in a Pond in the Rain - George Sanders ABANDONED
✔Of Women and Salt - Gabriela Garcia (4)
✔Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owen (4)
Challenge #2: Read a Western - started by lindapanzo
✔The Searcher by Tana French (5)
*✔Streets of Laredo - Larry McMurtry (5)
✔The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin (2.5)
Challenge #3: Read a book with a standalone capital letter in the title - started by lyzard
✔What A Time to Be Alone: The Slumflower's Guide to Why You Are Already Enough - Chidera Eggerue (4)
Challenge #4: Tagmash Rolling Challenge - Read a book which has a tag from the previous book - started by countrylife
*✔Extraordinary Union - Alyssa Cole (3)
*✔Fallen Women - Sandra Dallas (3.5)
Havana Heat - Darryl Brock
✔The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (3.5)
Challenge #5: Read a book with a flower in the title or author's name - started by Carmenere
City of Jasmine - Olga Grjasnowa
*The Jasmine Throne - Tasha Suri ABANDONED
✔Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick (3.5)
Challenge #6: Read a book that completes a square in Seattle Public Library's 2021 Book Bingo card - started by susanna.fraser
✔How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived - Leslie Jordan (3)
✔Null Set by SL Huang (2.5)
✔Persist - Elizabeth Warren (4)
Challenge #7: Read a book in honor of my 56th birthday (rolling) - started by Morphidae
✔ Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty - Patrick Radden Keefe (5)
Challenge #8: Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter - started by DeltaQueen
*Glamour Girls - Marty Wingate
The Kew Gardens Girls - Posy Lovell
*✔Perestroika in Paris- Jane Smiley (3)
Challenge #9: Read a book where The title is shorter than the author's name - started by quondame
*✔The Paris Library - Janet Skeslien Charles (3.5)
Whereabouts - Jhumpa Lahiri
Challenge #10: Read a novel written by a politician or journalist - started by Citizenjoyce
✔While Justice Sleeps - Stacey Abrams (3.5)
Challenge #11: Read a books whose title take the form "The xxx of yyyy" - started by helenliz
*✔The Age of Miracles - Karen Thompson Walker (4)
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop - Fannie Flagg
Challenge #12: Read a book where the first name of the writer comes alphabeticly before the last name - started by FAMeulstee
✔Exit Strategy - Martha Wells (4)
✔How Beautiful We Were - Imbolo Mbue (4)
*✔Women don't owe you pretty - Florence Given (3.5)
✔Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service - Carol Leonnig (4.5)
Challenge #13: Read a non-fiction book about some aspect of nature - started by wandering_star
✔Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive - Carl Zimmer (4)
Challenge #14: Read a book where the title and the author’s name both have a double letter in them - started by dallenbaugh
*✔Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line - Deepa Anappara (4)
Challenge #15: Read a book that shares a common word with a book title or author’s name that is #65 on any LT list AND that you read in the past. - started by paulstalder
✔Were I Not A Girl: The Inspiring and True Story of Dr. James Barry - Lisa Robinson (3.5)
Challenge #16: Read a book whose title starts with the word "who","what," "when", "where," "why," or "how." - started by AnneDC
✔Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews (3.5)

>3 lindapanzo: Would recommend The Searcher by Tana French if someone's looking for a book to read for this challenge. It's set in the West of Ireland but French has said that she was inspired by Westerns and you can see those themes clearly in the book.

Challenge #13: Read a non-fiction book about some aspect of nature

Should be self-explanatory!

>2 SqueakyChu: Would a book from the tag mash "Western, Fantasy" where "Western" is in the main tags be acceptable?

Examples: Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede, An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris, Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

>3 lindapanzo: Would a book from the tag mash "Western, Fantasy" where "Western" is in the main tags be acceptable?

Examples: Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede, An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris, Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

>14 Helenliz: - - Do the xxx and yyyy need to be one word each, or can either be phrases? (The Nature of Fragile Things is the title I'm wondering about.)

>19 wandering_star: Ooh, I've just started reading Silent Spring, which surely would qualify for this challenge, right?

>22 countrylife:. both xxx and yyyy can be more than one word. Your title fits fine.

>16 Citizenjoyce: Joyce, does the author have to currently be a journalist or politician or can they have been one in the past?

>21 Morphidae: It's OK as long as there's a western tag.

>25 DeltaQueen50: They have to be a current journalist but they can be a former politician.

>18 wandering_star: Thanks so much for mentioning The Searcher. I love her books.
>3 lindapanzo: Would it count for your challenge?

>27 Citizenjoyce: Ok - Thanks.

>18 wandering_star: If there’s a Western tag, then by all means, go ahead.

>30 lindapanzo: There is, but it's only amongst the "show all" tags.

>18 wandering_star: >31 Citizenjoyce: Am I missing something? I'm finding reviews on Amazon calling it a mesmerizing new mystery. Others call it a sluggish, slow-paced mystery. If it's intended to be a mystery with Western elements, that would be OK. I'm just not finding anything. Is it the author who says so perhaps?

I do see a NY Times review calling it an "Irish Western" so go ahead. Next time, I'll make myself clearer.

>32 lindapanzo: The author said she was inspired by Westerns, for example the whole thing is kicked off by an outsider lawman coming to town, and there's another important Western element which I don't want to explain here because it's quite spoilery.

>23 PawsforThought: yes, definitely!

>33 wandering_star: OK, sounds good.

>35 lindapanzo: Thanks. Any excuse to read a new Tana French novel is a good one.

>9 Morphidae:

I removed the part of the Interests portion of my challenge that stated books selected by tag had to be selected from the first page of results only.

ETA: For the part in My Books, I added...

Note: For book lists, only the first book in a series is mentioned. However, any book in the series qualifies.

>1 SqueakyChu: You challenged us to be creative and I have a couple books that I'd prefer to read first. If they don't qualify, that's fine, I have some others that clearly do.

#1 Creative idea - looks like reflection on wet street
Witchmark by C. L. Polk

#2 Creative idea - looks like a "river" of butterflies
Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson

>38 Morphidae: Whoa! That's really creative, Morphy! I'll take the wet street because there is an actual reflection.

Now consider carefully that "river" of butterflies. Do you really think that person's body fluids are leaking out, or do you think that is a lit path on which those butterflies are travelling? I'll go with whatever you choose to be the correct answer to this question. :D

>39 SqueakyChu: Neither. I think the person is imagining a river of butterflies. No matter though. I'll be putting it in another challenge and putting Witchmark in yours!

>40 Morphidae: Sounds good!

Rethinking this a few minutes later...
>40 Morphidae: Wait a minute! That’s NOT a reflection. That’s another picture entirely! The rider is only one person and there are two people below on the ground. Do you still think it’s a reflection on a wet sidewalk?!

>41 SqueakyChu: It's a book about magic. It's a reflection of reality not an actual reflection. The reflections are his love interest and his sister (the antagonist), the two most important people in his life. It's a clever cover because you are expecting to see his reflection rather than something else, i.e. artistic license.

I really don't want to debate it though. If it's a problem, I have a book with rain.

I want to do a couple of books shares. Any interest in the following?

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11. Read a books whose title take the form "The xxx of yyyy" -

The Delights of Reading by Otto Bettmann - nonfiction
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes - historical fiction (Depression era Appalachia)

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12. Read a book where the first name of the writer comes alphabetically before the last name

The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith - historical fantasy (turn of 20th century France)
I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel - nonfiction
Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie - urban fantasy
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole - historical romance (Civil War)
The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin - urban fantasy

>42 Morphidae: Use the rain book. I feel more sure that’s liquid! :D

>43 Morphidae: I will join you in reading the Anne Bogel book if my ILL arrives in time. I have already read two of the other books on the lists.

>42 Morphidae: Will do.

>45 dallenbaugh: Thanks! I've got it in ebook from Kindle Unlimited.

Potential Reads - Updated 5/30 10:21pm CST

1. Read a book with a liquid on the front cover - The Thief by J. R. Ward
2. Read a Western - Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
3. Read a book with a standalone capital letter in the title - Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
4. Tagmash Rolling Challenge - Read a book which has a tag from the previous book - The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune SHARED
5. Read a book with a flower in the title or author's name - Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton
6. Read a book that completes a square in Seattle Public Library's 2021 Book Bingo card - Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson (Poetry or Essays)
7. Read a book in honor of Morphidae's 56th birthday (rolling) - Dearest Ivie by J. R. Ward
8. Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter - The Whispering Wall by Patrica Carlon SHARED
9. Read a book where The title is shorter than the author's name - Sapiens: a Graphic History, Volume One by Harari, Yuval N.
10. Read a novel written by a politician or journalist - What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey SHARED
11. Read a books whose title take the form "The xxx of yyyy" - The Delights of Reading by Otto Bettmann or The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes (depending on if someone will do a shared read)
12. Read a book where the first name of the writer comes alphabetically before the last name - I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel SHARED and An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole SHARED
13. Read a non-fiction book about some aspect of nature - Trees: Between Earth and Heaven by Art Wolfe
14. Read a book where the title and the author’s name both have a double letter in them - Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb

>43 Morphidae:, >47 Morphidae: If you still have room for another book I'd be interested in reading An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole but no worries if not.

>48 souloftherose: Pretty good chance that I can if there aren't a lot more challenges added for the month.

Challenge #14: Read a book where the title and the author’s name both have a double letter in them

Example: Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

The double letter must be side by side but can be across two words.

Challenge #15: Read a book that shares a common word with a book title or author’s name that is #65 on any LT list AND that you read in the past

This is the year of the birthday celebrations! So, after having rested we are ready to celebrate my 65th birthday. You need some time and two books, one already read, one ready to read. Check any list on LT (your own ones or any list here) and see if number 65 is a book you have read. So, now chose a book to read that shares a word from the title or the author's name.

Rules:
1. Note the LT list.
2. Note the book title and author of your past read
3. Do not vary the spelling of the common word.
4. Articles do NOT count (ex. a, the) as the common word.
5. Embedded words are fine.
6. Bold the common word.
7. Shared reads need no added information.
added 8. The book must be #65 when entering it in the wiki.

# Airframe - Michael Crichton (past read: Next by Michael Crichton, #65 on LT list XYZ) - SqueakyChu
# Der arme Spielmann - Franz Grillparzer (past read: Der Mann, der niemals lebte by David Ignatius, #65 on my list 'read in 2010')

I consulted Madeline and she rephrased the rules, so they are much clearer now. Thanks Madeline for your effort.

>51 paulstalder: I'm glad you gave me the opportunity to do that because it took a couple of tries to fully understand it. Ha!

>51 paulstalder: I really didn't understand what you meant but, once I figured out where LT lists were located and started looking at some of them, this one was fun to do. Thanks.

If anyone is as unaware of lists as I was, LT lists are located at: https://www.librarything.com/home#lists

>51 paulstalder: We can only see the current state of a list. When someone adds a book, the numbers change, so my book is now #65 on a list, but could be an other number in that list by now. Does it still count?

>53 lindapanzo: you may also use your own list during last year for example: when you announce in your thread that you have read the 65th book of 2020, or your end of the year list, or the 'What should you borrow?' Checking your site gives me as #65 I should borrow from you: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie, so I could use that book as 'book read' (I do have read it) - and so I could read another book by Agatha

>54 FAMeulstee: I am aware of that. So, when you enter the book in the wiki and it appears as number 65 - fine, if it changed position, say, when you mark it COMPLETED - that wouldn't matter anymore.

>53 lindapanzo: you may also use your own list during last year for example: when you announce in your thread that you have read the 65th book of 2020, or your end of the year list, or the 'What should you borrow?' Checking your site gives me as #65 I should borrow from you: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie, so I could use that book as 'book read' (I do have read it) - and so I could read another book by Agatha

thanks for your input, Linda - gave me the chance to add an Agatha Christie book to my reading list :)

>54 FAMeulstee: I am aware of that. So, when you enter the book in the wiki and it appears as number 65 - fine, if it changed position, say, when you mark it COMPLETED - that wouldn't matter anymore.

>55 paulstalder: Oh that's a good idea too. Since I posted 2 hours ago, I've been adding to the disaster books list and starting my own lists on Chicago and other types of books I like (but aren't very popular).

I actually like the idea of looking at the "what should you borrow list" from TIOLI people whose tastes are somewhat similar to mind, such as Carrie, Judy, and Joyce, for instance. So this is turning out to be an excellent, thought-provoking challenge for me.

(Oops, I was looking at what books I should "borrow" from Carrie but realized that, of course, I would not have read it, but what Carrie should borrow from me would count as book #65 on a list and, happily, a new book by the author came to my attention just this morning.)

Paul, thanks for making me aware of the LT lists feature. I must've known about it because I've pitched in here and there but not very much over the years.

>56 paulstalder: Okay, thank you. I have found a book for your challenge :-)

>51 paulstalder: OK, it turned out there were several lists from which I'd read the 65th book. Am I correct that I can choose to read a book by the same author or one which has part of the author's name in the title, or whose author shares a first or last name with the author of the chosen 65th book?

>59 quondame: there must be a word in common in both works in the title OR in the author. So having a first name in the title which would fit the author of the book to read does not qualify.

so, these are not fitting for my challenge:
- John the Baptist by Jeremias Bachmann (Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan)

-> title word must fit a title word, author word must fit an author word

>60 paulstalder: My understanding of the question in >59 quondame: is that it's whether it's ok to choose a different author with the same first name or the same surname as a #65.

For example, 2 or 3 years ago, Five Days of Fog by Anna Freeman was #65 on my list of books read that year.

So could I read
(a) a book with the words Five, Days OR Fog in the title?
(b) a book by Anna Stothard or Anna Hope or any writer with the name Anna or Freeman?

>61 elkiedee: I concentrated on the first or or one which has part of the author's name in the title (which is no), and shortened the rest to title word must fit a title word, author word must fit an author word.

I used the words 'author word' for any kind of name (surname, family name, Allianzname, maiden name, middle name, first name, last name ...) in order to avoid that list. Yes, any part of the name can be a 'common word' which can be shared, I even would accept 'C. S. Lewis' and 'Lewis Carroll' as fitting the rules. So, read any Anna you like, or any Fog title for that matter

In case anyone is still looking for possible shared reads, these are my current reads and possible TIOLI challenge matches - I hope I'll be able to finish these and add others this month, and will update. Some will fit more than one challenge and I'm hoping to be able to spread these 10 books out across the challenges.

Paula McLain, When the Stars Go Dark - 16, 6 (crime/mystery)
Louise Welsh, Death is a Welcome Guest - 6, 12 (series, crime/mystery)
Rosa Guy, Bird at My Window - 5, 6 - black author (Afro-Caribbean American
Ann Patchett, The Dutch House -12
Penny Vincenza, A Question of Trust - 3, 12
Matt Haig, The Midnight Library - 7
Ruta Sepetys, Out of the Easy - 8. 12
Carol Shields, Collected Stories -13
Deborah Levy, Things I Don't Want to Know - 3, 12

Plan to start: Natalie Haynes, The Children of Jocasta - shared read already listed at 11

There are some challenges which nothing matches but then there are, so far, 15 challenges.

4, 7 and 15 are rolling challenges and I can probably work some of these or other books I might read into them, but for these and 6 I need to look more carefully.

Initially I was thinking I couldn't see any shared reads, but then yesterday I found at least 3 books which meet my criteria - available and quite easy to find now as they are on my Kindle, in editions which have page numbers, and ones I feel especially excited about reading.

Shared reads already listed:
4. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mexican Gothic
6. ed Jesmyn Ward, The Fire This Time
14. Deepa Anappara, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Another possibility:14
14: Emma Donoghue, The Pull of the Stars

Are flower names in other languages (Rosa) acceptable for challenge 5?

I could join you with The Dutch House

63 I've just started The Children of Jocasta. Unfortunately none of the rest of your list are on my shelves, so I can't help with those, even if a couple are on my general want to read list.

>64 wandering_star: That would be good. And as it's nearer the top of my pile I'm optimistic about actually finishing it!

>65 Helenliz: I am starting The Children of Jocasta because I wanted to pick from possible shared reads. When I first looked I couldn't see any possibilities and the next time I found about 5. I've had this book for more than 2 years (and her previous novel The Amber Furies even longer!) and I love listening to Natalie Haynes on the radio. But one shared read is a bonus and I don't presume that people are going to want to read any or all of these. It's just that the chances of me finishing books I've already started by 30 June seem a bit higher. Books in the pile range from 163 pages to almost 600, and remaining pages TBR range from 89 to 567.

>63 elkiedee: I plan to read The Midnight Library this month.

>67 swynn: Great: do you have a preference on which challenge to list it? Morphidae's birthday challenge includes a library setting and an important librarian character so long as it can be fitted in with the rolling challenges, but my idea was to list the books and then work out where to fit them in. I usually add books to the Wki when I finish but do add books I'm reading or considering to the rolling challenges rather than finish and have nowhere to put them. Anyway, I'm happy to go with your choice if you have decided.

>68 elkiedee: I have no preference -- I'm not aiming for a sweep, so I'll be happy to add a shared-reading point wherever works best for you!

I might join in with The Midnight Library.

Ok, have listed The Midnight Library in Challenge 7 - title, a key setting and the librarian is a significant character

>49 Morphidae: Great - I've listed An Extraordinary Union in challenge #12 but no worries if you don't get to it.

I now have a copy of The Giver of Stars awaiting collection at the library, however, as usual I've got carried away with library reservations and I can't commit to getting to them all this month.

Something odd has happened to the wiki entry for challenge 3. Susan's entry for A Master of Djinn goes to F is for Fugitive, which is (I assume) not what was intended.

>74 Helenliz: I can't see anything wrong there - do you think something's gone missing? I don't think there were more books, and it's not a rolling challenge, so the order is the normal alphabetical sequence. "A" is in bold as a standalone capital letter but the title is in sequence as starting with M for Master, so coming after F. I have also looked at recent changes.

People who've listed books in Challenge 3 should probably check that their listings haven't got mislaid or deleted

>75 elkiedee: It's not the order, it's the link. The text says A Master of Djinn it opens the book F is for Fugitive.

>76 Helenliz: Looks like the entry before was copied and edited, but forgotten to change the worknumber.
According to the history nothing was deleted.

>76 Helenliz: You're right - the link was copied from the previous book - have pasted in the link to A Master of Djinn there.

Challenge #16: Read a book whose title starts with one of the words "who," "what," "when", "where," "why," or "how."

Hopefully self-explanatory!

So many great challenges this month - and as usual, I have totally overbooked myself!

For challenge #7, who is reading the J.D. Robb book? No one has claimed it.

Also in Challenge #8: Mosses From An Old Manse is listed but no reader's name added.

>82 DeltaQueen50: Oh thanks, that's me. I'll go fix it!

>81 lindapanzo: No idea what you are talking about. The name is right there!

Nothing to see here. Move along now, people, move along...

(Whoops?)

>84 Morphidae: I would join you but you're about 15 books ahead of me in that series. I took a multi-year break from them.

>84 Morphidae: It's ok. I'm thinking about changing that book to one another with a NY setting anyway.

With all the books being moved around to share reads, did someone remove a book tagged 'espionage' from #4? Because my book seems to have been left hanging... :)

>87 lyzard: I checked the history and found the following deletion June 3 20:50 PDT.

# [https://www.librarything.com/work/18313765 An Extraordinary Union] (historical fiction, espionage, African American) - Alyssa Cole - Citizenjoyce

>87 lyzard: oh shoot, I’m so sorry. I’ll put it back.
Souloftherose, care to join me in 4?

>87 lyzard: Having a look - does anyone have a bridging book they can list?

>89 Citizenjoyce: Fixed

Aah cross posts: I was going to list Out of the Easy which shares the historical fiction tag with the previous listing and has a mystery tag.

I can remove my book if that's easiest, it's not a problem. I certainly don't want to spoil anyone's shares!

Joyce has reinstated hers, I could have easily slotted in my book, Out of the Easy which I don't think is going to affect any shared reads but I'm definitely reading it now.

>89 Citizenjoyce: Sorry, didn't see that you'd listed that one in a different challenge. Moved my read to join yours now.

>93 lyzard:, >95 souloftherose: It looks like all is right with the world now. This certainly isn't the first time I've messed things up by not paying attention. My daughter is always teasing me about how unobservant I am, for good reason.

>96 Citizenjoyce:

No worries! I think we've all fallen into the 'shifting books around' trap at one time or another. :D

>15 FAMeulstee: Initials okay like with J. R. Ward?

>98 Morphidae: Yes.

>9 Morphidae: My Books: "Author with Three+ Books", does that mean any author with 4 books or more in your library?

>100 FAMeulstee: Yes, I'll clarify.

To all...

Please see italicized text in >9 Morphidae: for items edited for clarification/expansion.

TIOLI Question of the Month

You are located in the setting of the book that you are now reading or read most recently. Where are you, and what are you doing?

>103 SqueakyChu: I'm in Tucson, Arizona, USA, being surprised that I now have a boyfriend.

I'm reading Mona at Sea by Elizabeth Gonzalez James. This book is an ARC which was sent to me by the publisher SFWP, and is due to be released next month.

>102 SqueakyChu: In the coastal mountains of eastern Russia looking for fish owls. It's great to be there vicariously and avoid the vodka, smoke, cold, and ticks.

>102 SqueakyChu: In The Searcher by Tana French I'm just outside a little village in Ireland remodeling my newly purchased old house with just the occasional help of a 12-year-old boy, yay me, I'm very competent with my hands. I'm also a retired detective so I'm sneakily trying to find the lost older brother of that boy. I also try to kill rabbits with my new gun, but I'm going to pass on that one.

TIOLI Stats for May 2021

For May. 2021, we read a total of 287 books. Of those, 64 or 22% were shared reads (the highest number of shared reads since June, 2020). Not too shabby!! We accumulated 34 TIOLI points, the highest monthly number since June, 2020. We now have a YTD total of 131 TIOLI points, the lowest May accumulation since May 2010, but I think that was because we were coming off a slow year, much having to do with the pandemic and difficulty concentrating on reading. I am so glad this is slowly resolving.

Our most popular book was Ajax Penumbra: 1969 by Robin Sloan. This book was read by 6 challengers. We have not had so many challengers share a read since April, 2020. Good job!

The most popular challenge, with 38 books read, was the one by cbl_tn to read a book set in a country that starts with a vowel.

The two challenges with the most TIOLI points--each with 7--were:
1. The challenge by me (SqueakyChu) to read a book with the letter X in the title or author's name
2. The challenge by wandering_star to read a book that has the word 'novella' on its cover or is tagged 'novella' in LT.

We're moving right along in a good way!

>102 SqueakyChu:

I am in British high society of the early 1920s. I am involved in a complicated marriage-or-blackmail pot, but keep ruining my own plans thanks to my hysterical emotionalism...me being a woman.

Alternatively I am in American high society of the same era. I may have murdered my husband due either to his infidelity, my repressed desire for another man, or both; and my exceedingly obvious dreams must be subjected to full-on Freudian analysis, in order to get to the root of my hysterical emotionalism...me being a woman.

>102 SqueakyChu: sitting in my Honda surveying a black VIP limousine on Sunset Boulevard - having forgotten to fill my car with gas and empty my bladder ...

>102 SqueakyChu: In a dystopian near-future Britain, battling sea-level rises, a hostile, distant government and populist rabble-rousing politicians. I'd be happy to swap!

I have just finished a book set in Greenwich, London. Nice enough as a place to be.

I am in a quaint village in Dorset, U.K. Unfortunately I am dealing with 2 murders, a bit of smuggling, and some very strange neighbours.

I'm reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring so I'm on a planet that has been completely poisoned by pesticides and other toxins.

>102 SqueakyChu: I am reading two books.

In one I am a young police officer in the north of Iceland, trying to find out if a sudden death was murder, and have an other case of a women found nearly dead in her own garden.

In the other book I am a East-German woman, living in New York in 1968, I talk a lot with my daughter about my family in Germany in the 1930s, and I work at a bank as a translator. I just got promotion.

>102 SqueakyChu: I am in an alternative-history steampunk Cairo solving a mystery :)

Mexican Gothic I've just arrived at an english manor in the mexican countryside and I'm determined to find out what is wrong with my newly married cousin.

>112 PawsforThought: That sounds like the worst place of all!

>102 SqueakyChu: I am in the kingdom of Lancre in Discworld, attending a royal wedding and trying to avoid the fae.

>102 SqueakyChu: I was in a fractured fairytale version of the Old West, saving my real mother and getting revenge in Gothel's Reach.

>102 SqueakyChu: It's hot hot hot on my return to Ankh-Morpork. A werewolf, a troll, and a dwarf have just been sworn into the Watch as part of a diversity initiative. The troll is slowly learning to salute without knocking itself unconscious.

TIOLI Awards for May 2021

The X Marks the Spot Award goes to JeanneD for reading Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin for my (SqueakuChu's) challenge to read a book with the letter X in the title or author's name. This challenger was able to find an X in both the book title and its author's name.

The Odd Color Award goes to quondame for reading The Bone Maker for DeltaQueen's challenge to read a book where a color or shade of color is named in the title. I thought that the color bone was the most unusual color. Bone color is a light brown color that is similar to beige

The Photography Rules Award goes to lindapanzo for reading The Story of a Photograph: Walker Evans, Ellie Mae Burroughs, and the Great Depression and to Citizenjoyce for reading Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story: A Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder. These two challengers' books were the only ones listed that had the word "photograph" in the title.

The Time Out Award goes to swynn for the challenge to read some "trash". Everyone needs a chance to read whatever he or she wants despite any lacking literary merit. This challenge helps!

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

Thank you for the award. It was a happy co-incidence as I had other colors going in May. I still like Don't Let Go for the verb challenge.

I'd like to offer the Doctor of Letters award to Carrie for finding a run of 5 letters in Mabrook!: A World of Muslim Weddings - Na'ima B. Robert & Shirin Adl for my challenge.

I did promise a small prize; if you drop me a message I'll arrange to send it to you. Congratulations!

Thank you for the award!

>120 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award. I never would have read Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story: A Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder without the challenge, and it turned out to be quite interesting.

>122 Helenliz: Congratulations, Carrie!

>124 Citizenjoyce: I really like those “I would not have read XYZ but for the challenge”. That’s what TIOLI is all about!

(deleted duplicate post. I should never post from my phone!)

>125 SqueakyChu: It works for me every month.

>127 Citizenjoyce: Yay!

Miracle of miracles, I have my July challenge ready to post!

I know! There'll be ice skating in hell this afternoon!

>129 Morphidae: LOL! Oh, Morphy!!

>122 Helenliz: Thank you for the award! I picked the book for the British Author Challenge, and I almost didn't spot the letter sequence!

>102 SqueakyChu: I am currently reading two books. In one of them, I've just reached Paris by train from London. One of the passengers didn't survive the journey in Passenger from Scotland Yard. In the other book, All but Forgotten, I'm at Fort Meigs, Ohio (near modern Perrysburg, OH) with one of my ancestors who served in the War of 1812 and was part of Dudley's Defeat. I am brushing up on history before the battle commences. My ancestor was in Fort Meigs during the siege and said he was on the other side of the river from Dudley. He and several others buried Dudley in the swamp where he fell.

>120 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award for the photography book. With all the family medical issues, I'm looking forward to better days (and better reading days) ahead.

Sweeplette of page 2 acomplished.
That's 2 months running. >:-o

>134 Helenliz: Congratulations!
Two months in a row, and the third this year!

>134 Helenliz: Excellent! Congratulations!

>134 Helenliz: Congratulations.

>134 Helenliz:

I have three Lizlettes this month, one on each page! :D

>138 lyzard: Heh!

With finishing The Grapes of Wrath for TIOLI #11, I made a sweep :-)

>140 FAMeulstee: Congratulations.

>140 FAMeulstee: Congrats! No sweep in my future this month.

>140 FAMeulstee: Congratulations!

>140 FAMeulstee:

Well done, Anita!

140 Congratulations, Anita!

Thanks Joyce, Anne, Susan, Liz and Madeline.

>108 paulstalder: TMI ;0)

>140 FAMeulstee: Congratulations Anita! Completely out of character, of course.

Challenge 4. Tagmash Rolling Challenge - Read a book which has a tag from the previous book: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Challenge 5. Read a book with a flower in the title or author's name (candle): The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad (2019) {flame flower also seems to be associated with the flower of many plants/ trees}

Challenge 6. Read a book that completes a square in Seattle Public Library's 2021 Book Bingo card (Olympic host city - London): Crazy in Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop by Annie Darling (2018)

Challenge 8. Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter: Bound in Blood by P.C. Hodgell

Challenge 9. Read a book where The title is shorter than the author's name: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Challenge 12. Read a book where the first name of the writer comes alphabetically before the last name: Graevale by Lynette Noni (2018)

Challenge 14. Read a book where the title and the author’s name both have a double letter in them: Sorcerer's Son by Phyllis Eisenstein

(Just listing my books for this month. You may look away while I try to retrofit them to challenges.

ETA: I've fitted them in but, except for Seraphina for the rolling challenge, I haven't put them on the wiki yet. It's way past my bedtime - we stayed up to watch the England-Germany football match - so I'll do them tomorrow.)

All done now.

Housekeeping Day!

Please remove from the wiki any book you do not finish by midnight tonight, exceept for the rolling challenges which you should just mark DNF. Thanks!