Take It or Leave It Challenge -January 2018 - 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.

Simple directions for posting to the wiki can be found at the bottom of each month's wiki page.


...logo by cyderry

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Your TIOLI challenge for January, 2018, is to

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Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name

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Rules:
1. Do not use the word "man".
2. If it's an uncommon animal, include a link to the word's definition.
3. The animal may be embedded within or across title words.
4. The animal name must have three letters in English but may have more or less than three letters in a language other than English. For instance, you may use the word "hormiga", which is Spanish for "ant", but you must include the English translation of any word you use in another language.
5. Here are some animals to start you off: ant, bat, cow, dog, emu, fly, fox, gar, pig, pug, rat. There are other such animals, but you'll have to find them!
6. You may include a subtitle.

Have fun!

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

1. The January 2018 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

Wiki Index of Challenges:

Challenges #1-6
1. Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name - msg #1
2. Read a book with a gothic theme - msg #3
3. Read a book that is on a list of best or notable books of 2017 - msg #4
4. The WIKI Rolling Challenge: read a book with 'w', 'i', 'k', 'i' in the title - msg #5
5. Read a book that you did not select (eg gift, subscription, book club choice) - msg #19
6. Read a book you acquired in December 2017, but NOT as a gift - msg #22

Challenges #7-12
7. Read a book that has been on your e-reader or phone for at least 6 months - msg #24
8. Read a popular or best-selling book that you've always assumed you wouldn't like - msg #32 - thread
9. Read a book that contains more than one beginning - msg #35
10. Read a book that has a relation to another book - msg #50
11. Read a book that has been (or is going to be) adapted for film or television - msg #51
12. Read a book with a geometric shape in the title - msg #52

Challenges #13-16
13. Read a book by an author OR illustrator who died in 2017 - msg #65
14. Rolling challenge: Answer the questions with a book title you read - msg #70
15. Read a book with a title that contains the letter u at least twice - msg #86
16. Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions- msg #88

Hold your challenge until the February challenges are posted. Thx!

Challenge #2: Read a book with a gothic theme

Making its debut in the late 18th century, Gothic fiction was a branch of the larger Romantic movement that sought to stimulate strong emotions in the reader - fear and apprehension in this case. Gothic fiction places heavy emphasis on atmosphere, using setting and diction to build suspense and a sense of unease in the reader.

List of Gothic Fiction
13 Modern Gothic novels

Frankenstein group read thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/280794

Yahoo, starting the year right with getting here early.
I'm doing my usual first of the year challenge
Challenge #3 Read a book that is on a list of best or notable books of 2017
Abebooks: https://www.abebooks.com/books/best-books-of-2017/index.shtml?cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Ab...
Amazon best sellers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/2017/books
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/books/_/N-1fZ29Z8q8?st=SEM&sid=BNB_DRS_DSA+...
BookBub: https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/12/04/best-books-2017/
Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-books-2017/#8-the-impossible-fortress-a-nove...
Bookriot: https://bookriot.com/2017/12/12/best-books-2017/
CNET: https://www.cnet.com/news/best-science-fiction-fantasy-books-2017/
Chicago Review of books: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2017/12/05/best-fiction-books-of-2017/
Esquire: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a52733/best-books-of-2017/
Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/fb3ddfd0-d633-11e7-8c9a-d9c0a5c8d5c9
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/30/best-books-fiction-2017
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/29/the-best-books-on-biography-and-au...
Huffington Post best fiction: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-best-fiction-books-of-2017_us_5a26dfd7e... Times: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-holiday-books-best-fiction-2017...
Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/best-of-2017/section/fiction/lists/
The Listener: http://www.noted.co.nz/culture/books/the-100-best-books-of-2017/
Literary Hub Ultimate List: http://lithub.com/the-ultimate-best-books-of-2017-list/
Paste: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/12/the-25-best-novels-of-2017.html
Publisher's Weekly: https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2017/top-10#book/book-1
Quartzy: https://quartzy.qz.com/1143800/the-best-books-of-2017-if-you-combine-21-best-boo...
Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/entertainment/best-books/?utm_term=...
Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/the-top-tech-books-of-2017-part-1/
https://www.wired.com/story/the-top-tech-books-of-2017-part-2/

Happy New Year, all!

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Challenge #4: The WIKI Rolling Challenge

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To celebrate the return of the Wiki, this is a title rolling challenge for the letters w-i-k-i.

The letter can be anywhere in the title, one letter highlighted per title.

For example:

We Of The Never-Never
Candide
Bleak House
The Duke's Children

...and so on. :)

>1 SqueakyChu: Can you explain this rule "3. The animal may be embedded within or across title words."

>1 SqueakyChu: Can plurals count? For instance Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingslover.

>7 The_Hibernator: I would think so, since it's embedded.

>3 avatiakh: For avatiakh's challenge,, I'd suggest that challengers read a book that was part of lyzard's tutored reads to me in the past. Follow along on those threads as you read those books. You'll get so much more out of those novels if you do. Plus...those were so much fun!

I recommend these tutored reads.

1. The Castle of Otranto
http://www.librarything.com/topic/131508

2. The Monk
http://www.librarything.com/topic/142666

3. The Castle of Wolfenbach
http://www.librarything.com/topic/161142

Feel free to bring those threads/conversations/questions back from the dead (no pun intended). :)

In addition, if you've never read either Frankenstein or Dracula, now is the time to do it! Both are such great books (and classics for a reason). These are not tutored reads, but they are wonderful stories...which is a strange thing for me to admit because I'm not usually a fan of monster or vampire fiction.

>7 The_Hibernator: The word "pigs" cannot count but the word "pig" is embedded within pigs so that can count. Easy peasy! :D

>6 neverstopreading: Sure. Here are examples of that rule.

Midnight n the Garden of Good and Evil has the word "gar embedded within a title word.

The Horror at Camp Jellyjam has the word "rat" embedded across more than one title word.

Both are qualifying.

Madeline, I think the link in the wiki list thread points to the old wiki.
Either that or I'm a numpty, one or the other.

>12 Helenliz: You are right, the link in the (75 in 2010) TIOLI thread goes to the old wiki.

>9 SqueakyChu: Thanks for posting those links. There will be a group read for Frankenstein in the category challenge group, I don't think the thread has been posted yet. January 2018 is the 200th birthday of the book's publication.

>12 Helenliz: >13 FAMeulstee: Thanks to you both. I made the correction. I see the wikis are still going to drive me crazy for a while. However, I am really happy we've gotten the January 2018 TIOLI challenges up and running very easily.

>14 avatiakh: Cool! ...about the Frankenstein group read. Do post that link and encourage others to join in.

BY the way, if you know of anyone who might want to join the TIOLI challenges but is afraid of them, encourage them to start with just one book for January. Have them read Frankenstein which is also a group read and is a fairly short but greatly enjoyable book. Then they can decide if they want to try the TIOLI challenges again or not. :D

>4 Citizenjoyce: That is quite a list, Joyce! Thanks for posting such an extensive list of places we can go to choose our book for your challenge.

Challenge #5: Read a book that you did not select - such as a book you received as a gift (that you hadn't asked for or wishlisted), a book chosen by another member of your book group, etc.

I have recently started a couple of book subscriptions so will be reading from them, as well as some of my Christmas book haul!

>1 SqueakyChu: Would 'roo' count - as slang for a kangaroo? If you google the word you get a dictionary entry for it (marked Australian, informal).

>20 wandering_star: I'll accept "roo" because I see it in the dictionary. You win! :D

>21 SqueakyChu: Thank you! :-p

Challenge #6: Read a book you acquired in December 2017, but NOT as a gift

December is all about the gift books...but I figure most of us are still buying books, borrowing them from the library or friends, etc.

>24 LizzieD: I don’t have an e-reader, but have audiobooks on my phone for that long. Could they count?

>24 LizzieD: Remember to put your challenge on the wiki before you post your message to this thread. That keeps the challenge numbers from getting mixed up. I take the challenge numbers directly from the wiki.

>24 LizzieD: What if a challenger does not have an ereader?

My planned reads for the New Year:
Challenge #1: Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name - started by SqueakyChu
✔Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black: And Other Stories - Nadine Gordimer (3)
Challenge #2: Read a book with a gothic theme - started by avatiakh
*✔Tokyo -Mo Hayder (4)
Challenge #3: Read a book that is on a list of best or notable books of 2017 - started by Citizenjoyce
Homo Deus - Yuval Noah Harari
✔The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia - Masha Gessen (4)
*✔The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II by Svetlana Alexievich (4.5)
Challenge #4: The WIKI Rolling Challenge: read a book with 'w', 'i', 'k', 'i' in the title - started by lyzard
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland - Jim Defede
✔This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage - Ann Patchett (4)
*The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale
Challenge #5: Read a book that you did not select (eg gift, subscription, book club choice) - started by wandering_star
✔I Let You Go - Clare Mackintosh - RL Book Club (4)
Challenge #6: Read a book you acquired in December 2017, but NOT as a gift - started by susanna.fraser
✔I Found You - Lisa Jewell (3.5)
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
Challenge #7: Read a book that has been on your e-reader for at least 6 months (Oh, the shame!) - started by LizzieD
*✔This Shattered World - Amie Kaufman (3)
The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness - Paula Poundstone - E-Book
Challenge #8: Read a popular or best-selling book that you've always assumed you wouldn't like. - started by neverstopreading
*✔Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka (3.5)
Challenge #9: Read a book that contains more than one beginning - started by helenliz
*✔Reincarnation Blues - Michael Poore (1/2)
Challenge #10: Read a book that has a relation to another book - started by FAMeulstee
✔Marmee & Louisa: the Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother - Eve LaPlante (4.5)
Mr. Timothy: A Novel - Louis Bayard Abandoned Tiny Tim and BDSM
My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories - Stephanie Perkins abandoned too YA
Challenge #11: Read a book that has been (or is going to be) adapted for film or television - started by DeltaQueen
The Patron Saint of Liars Ann Patchett reread
✔Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (4)
Challenge #12: Read a book with a geometric shape in the title - started by lindapanzo
✔Hanging Curve - Troy Soos (4)
Challenge #13: Read a book by an author OR illustrator who died in 2017 - started by Dejah_Thorisedit
*✔A is for Alibi - Sue Grafton (3.5)
Challenge #14: Rolling challenge: Answer the questions with a book title you read - started by paulstalder
✔Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (3.5)
Challenge #15: Read a book with a title that contains the letter u at least twice - started by elkiedee
*✔Future Home of the Living God -Louise Erdrich (3.5)
Challenge #16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions - started by owlie13
✔Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House - Michael Wolff (4)

>18 SqueakyChu: I love doing this every year.

>25 raidergirl3:, >26 SqueakyChu:, >27 SqueakyChu:. I think audioboks are fine. Help! I can't think of anything for a person who uses neither..... How about a library book that has been returned or renewed more than 3 times. I'll change the challenge after folks have had a chance to reply with another idea.
Meanwhile, the challenge is on the wiki .... Joyce has added an entry.

>30 LizzieD: I have no problem with the challenge as it stands, but people always complain when I'm not sensitive to those who only read ebooks. I am now playing the devil’s advocate for those who only read paper books. If you get no other questioning comments about your challenge, leave it as it is. Okay?

>4 Citizenjoyce: I found a book I want to read at The best biography and autobiography books of 2017 of The Guardian. Is that okay?

>17 SqueakyChu:

This sounds like a fun new challenge,
along with Non-Fiction, Poetry, and The Irish -
found my Frankenstein, but haven't seen any imbedded animals...?

As it is new Year, it is time to turn over a new leaf. It is like beginning the year means we can all have another chance at a new start. We make resolutions (and, if you're anything like me, have failed by midday on the 3rd January). And then we do it all again 12 months later. In which case:

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Challenge #9: Read a book that contains more than one beginning - started by helenliz
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>34 m.belljackson:

Use your Frankenstein for a shared read for Challenge #2 (Read a book with a gothic theme).
http://www.librarything.com/topic/279091#6295479

List it under Challenge #2 on this wiki page:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Take_It_or_Leave_It_Challenge_-_January_...

When you finish Frankenstein, you can always look for another book to add later (with the three-letter animal in the title). You can add to or remove books from the wiki at any time through midnight 1/31.

For anyone who is reading Frankenstein, do the group read if you can (and want to). It would be fun. I think I'll lurk on that thread since I've already read Frankenstein and have no time for a reread.

>35 Helenliz: Is more than one beginning open to our interpretation?

>35 Helenliz: I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this challenge.

>33 FAMeulstee: Absolutely, any list is fine. I’ll add that one to my list of lists. There are so many more there to add to my wish list.
>1 SqueakyChu: Would you count an insect as an animal? I want to use a bee.

>39 Citizenjoyce: Insects are indeed animals. You may use "bee'.

>33 FAMeulstee:

To Anita (or anyone else) , there is also a tutored read by lyzard for Northanger Abbey if you want to use it while you read that book for challenge #2 (gothic theme).

Here's the link:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/132430

>37 elkiedee: Yes, the interpretation of "beginning" and the counting more than one of them is fairly open.

>38 thornton37814: some examples, to see if that helps.
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler has the surmise that is contains the first chapter of a number of different books, so it contains a number of beginnings.
Life After Life features a character that experiences multiple lives - each of which begins with a birth.
I'm sure I've read a book in which a character moves cities, changes their name and reinvents them self each time - beginning over more than once.
Something along the lines of Bridget Jones' Diary where she begins a diet multiple times.

Hope that helps explain what I'm thinking of and gives some ideas to work on

>41 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the link, Madeline. Yes I listed Northanger Abbey for challenge #2.

ETA: still working on the old wiki, 2013 is nearly done.

>42 Helenliz: That does help! Examples always help.

>35 Helenliz: That's a very thought provoking challenge, Helen! I like it and hope I can find a book that works.

>43 FAMeulstee: Thanks for all the work you're doing on the wiki, Anita. I haven't been able to get back to it.

>34 m.belljackson:

Thanks - I missed the Gothic connection then, while searching for Frankenstein

did find a January Animal qualifier: ASSEMBLING CALIFORNIA by John McPhee.

>47 m.belljackson: You did!

Here is my plan for January:

Challenge #1: Constantine: Roman emperor, Christian victor - Paul Stephenson
Challenge #2: Dracula (Dover Thrift Editions) - Bram Stoker
Challenge #7: Shrilugh: Book One of the Shrilugh Saga - Myndi Shafer
Challenge #8: Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) - Stephenie Meyer

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Challenge #10: Read a book that has a relation to an other book
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This can be a retelling, reply, prequel, sequel, adaption, reply etc. to an other book, you can find work-to-work relationships on the work page.

I am away from home visiting with my family but I was so happy to see that the 2018 TIOLI Challenges have been launched!

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Challenge #11: Read a book that has (or is going to be) adapted for film or television
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January 19th is National Popcorn Day in North America so my challenge is to celebrate this event.

Challenge #12: Read a book with a geometric shape in the title

Should be self explanatory. I'm thinking circles, squares, or triangles but there are plenty of others. Here's a list...https://www.math-salamanders.com/list-of-geometric-shapes.html

>51 DeltaQueen50: National Popcorn Day? Now there's a holiday I'd celebrate!

>51 DeltaQueen50: I've already created a challenge for this month, but one to save for later might be a movie or TV show that has been novelized into a book :)

>36 SqueakyChu:

Any chance of finding The Idiot's Guide to Adding a Book for TIOLI Challenge # 1...?

>55 m.belljackson:

Sure!

How to add a book to a posted challenge on the wiki:

1. Click on the wiki page.
2. Scroll down to the challenge you want to enter.
3. Click on the "edit" button (found on the right side of the screen next to the challenge name.
4. Make your entry (in alphabetical order) by first putting a single hash tag (#) before your entry. List the title and author of your book. List your name. List if your are Reading the book or have COMPLETED the book. Use five apostrophes on either side of the word Reading or three apostrophes on either side of the word COMPLETED.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the box in front of "I'm not a robot".
6. After you see a green check mark, click on the box at the bottom which says "Save changes".

After you do this a few times, it becomes easy.

I don't know if you all knew about the death of Sue Grafton. I've never read a book by her, but now I wish I had made her my challenge for this month. This is a message from her daughter:
Hello Dear Readers. This is Sue's daughter, Jamie. I am sorry to tell you all that Sue passed away last night after a two year battle with cancer. She was surrounded by family, including her devoted and adoring husband Steve. Although we knew this was coming, it was unexpected and fast. She had been fine up until just a few days ago, and then things moved quickly. Sue always said that she would continue writing as long as she had the juice. Many of you also know that she was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV shows, and in that same vein, she would never allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of all of those things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at Y.

>56 SqueakyChu: Thanks for that! I (think) I have successfully entered my reads for 4 of the challenges. Whoohoo!

>57 Citizenjoyce: I have always meant to read another one of these, so in her honor, I will do so this year.

>58 Berly: I'm #5 on the waiting list for A is for Alibi so I guess whether or not I read it this month will depend on 4 other people.

I just downloaded A is for Alibi from iBooks for $2.99 and am prepared if there is a challenge for Grafton in January.

>57 Citizenjoyce: Thanks got sharing the death notice about Sue Grafton, Joyce. How bittersweet she never made it to Z. Her books are very popular in my Little Free Library. I never knew that about the TV/movie option. There is something about that I really like.

>61 SqueakyChu: Evidently she was committed to the printed word. That is endearing to us readers.

>62 Citizenjoyce: For sure! I've never read any of her novels as I'm not much into mysteries. How are they? Should one start with the first book? I was thinking of maybe getting them for my husband. The only one I have now is "H".

>56 SqueakyChu:

Thank you!

I will attempt this when the geologically dense ASSEMBLING CALIFORNIA is completely read.

>64 m.belljackson: Great! If you have any issues with it, let me or others here know. We'd be glad to help.

It needed doing, so here it is:

In honor of Sue Grafton, Sam Shepard, and others we've lost,

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Challenge #13: Read a book (play, graphic novel, picture book, etc.) by an author OR illustrator we lost in 2017.
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>55 m.belljackson: >64 m.belljackson: I remember being very intimidated the first month I participated in the TIOLI Challenges, but it doesn't take long to learn to use the wiki. I found that clicking on the edit button and looking at what other people had done before me really helped.

>66 Dejah_Thoris: Great challenge!
>63 SqueakyChu: I don't have any idea where it is best to start or if you can just jump in. I have A on hold, but with 25 books, I'll bet you don't need to start at the beginning.

>68 Citizenjoyce: You really want to start on A. I had to give up somewhere after E I think because I can't deal who got murdered.

Challenge #14: Rolling challenge: Answer the questions with a book title you read

Read a book with a title that answers one of the following questions:
- Who do you want to meet in 2018?
- What do you want to eat in 2018?
- Where do you want to go in 2018?
- How do you want to travel in 2018?
- Why do you want to read in 2018?

Bolden the answer

The 'rolling' works groupwise: As soon as a block of the 5 questions are answered a new block can start. So somebody may fill in the 'how' question first and someone else later the 'what' question. When all five questions are answered then I (or someone else) adds a new block of questions.

All clear? Have fun! :)

>70 paulstalder: Wow, Paul! That is a great challenge and fun too!

>70 paulstalder: Love that one!

>70 paulstalder: That is too great!!!! I can’t wait to read the answers!

>31 SqueakyChu:

Don't own an ereader - would DailyLit.com emailed books count for this?

>30 LizzieD:

Don't own an ereader - would DailyLit.com emailed books count for this?

It's your call. What do you say?

>75 SqueakyChu:

LizzieD had a different question which you answered far above.

DailyLit is perfect for me because I don't own any audio books, readers, or smartphones,
and have a fat old TV that hasn't been turned on since watching Obama win,
while my only vehicle is a 2001 Tacoma pick-up whose biggest amenity is that it has started right up in the super-frigid wind.
Blessings on thee, little truck.

All of which is to say YES!

>24 LizzieD: : re Challenge #7, and >35 Helenliz: : re Challenge #9 - - - Would you mind adding your updates to your original post, so we can find all the info together in one place from Madeline's links in post 2, instead of having to scroll through looking for the rest of the answers?

PS: Madeline - Your link in post 2 for Challenge #7 does not work. And, by the way, THANK YOU for linking there! I use these all the time!

>65 SqueakyChu:

Okay - instructions worked fine until #4:
when I made the entry, everyone else had NUMBERS entered before their title - where did these come from?

Thinking they might magically show up if I went ahead and did the hash tag, title, author, my name & COMPLETED,
I did the CAPTCHA and clicked Save Changes.

Well, book got correctly entered (except for those mysterious numbers),
but shows up without the first word ASSEMBLING of title.

Hope you or someone can help...?

>78 m.belljackson:

You need to copy and paste the URL from your book's work page, then add your book title after the numbers. All this goes inside square brackets, to make the link back to the book.

So in your case:

# {square bracket}http://www.librarything.com/work/106428 Assembling California{square bracket}

We can't illustrate the square brackets because that will start creating a touchstone, but I hope this is clear?

>79 lyzard:

Thanks for the quick response -

not sure if I should plead insanity, cataracts, or mindful-less old age,
but I do not see the number 106428 on Review or Edit page.

Yes, it's clear, but where on the page is the URL located?

>80 m.belljackson: If you go to the LT page for that book, just copy the URL in the address bar - that's where the numbers come from - it's just a string of random numbers LT attaches to a title to separate them form each other (instead of titles, as there can be tons of books with identical titles).

>80 m.belljackson:, >81 PawsforThought:

You need to make sure you're on the 'main page' for your book. Look at the links under the cover image, on the left hand side of the page. Use the URL at the top of that main page.

>77 countrylife: Fixed. Thanks!

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm just checking in for the TIOLI challenges and hope I manage to keep up (ie post at least one book for a challenge every month) this year.

I've finished a book I carried over from last year, so I'm adding it to Challenge 8; The Lies of Locke Lamora, which a few other LTers weren't keen on but, as I was forewarned, I did get through it.

>84 humouress: Happy New Year to you and all our TIOLI challengers!

Challenge 15: Read a book with a title that contains the letter u at least twice

I want to read Guard Your Daughters and can't see how to fit it in to any of the other challenges, except possibly Paul's (meet your daughters)

Still hoping someone will post another challenge over the next 16/17 hours, so I don't have to list 5/6 books in the same challenge again.

I had to set up the thread for the Frankenstein group read myself, it's here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/280794

Challenge 16: Read a book with at least a two-word title, but no prepositions.

Examples:
Summer Knight (yes)
Summer of Love (no)

Here's a list of the top 50 English prepositions:
http://www.talkenglish.com/vocabulary/top-50-prepositions.aspx

>86 elkiedee: Oh thank you so much! I couldn't find a home for Future Home of the Living God (which is really good so far) and the title has, not one, but TWO Us!

Karen O.

Today is the last day to submit a challenge for January’s challenges. If you wish to do so, add your challenge to the wiki by 12 midnight tonight (your time zone). Thanks!

>87 avatiakh: Thanks for posting the link to the Frankensyein group read, Kerry.

>89 klobrien2: Glad to be of assistance.

>88 owlie13: Also grateful for this one - I felt we needed another title based challenge, though I notice there is only one author based challenge

>90 SqueakyChu: For anyone else still thinking of something, is the deadline midnight on the US East Coast, or midnight for the challenger's time zone? (which would make it already too late in Europe and Asia, about 45 mins left in the UK).

>88 owlie13: Jumping on the bandwagon with Fire and Fury, thanks for giving me a place to put it, or do I have to count the subtitle Inside the Trump White House?

>92 elkiedee: It's for the challenger's own time zone. I'm sorry. I was going to mention that when I made my original post (directed at newbies).

>70 paulstalder: Paul, with the death of Aharon Appelfeld, I'm going to substitute in his memoir, A Table for One: Under the Light of Jerusalem in place of Elie Wiesel's A beggar in Jerusalem.

>95 avatiakh: Fine with me, even though, I don't like the use of subtitles very much. But since I didn't specify 'title' as 'title only' .... :)
And thanks for mention Appelfeld's passing away. I didn't realize that. Maybe I should read Bis der Tag anbricht in his memory. It's still there on the TBR mountain

>95 avatiakh: >96 paulstalder: I also was not aware of Appelfeld's death. It's been many a year since I read one of his books. I do have some here at home, although I'm not sure when I'll get to them.

>81 PawsforThought: >82 lyzard:

When I do a search for ASSEMBLING CALIFORNIA,

1. I see NO title at the top of its Main Page (and yes, I clicked on Main Page to be sure) that begins with http.

2. Not sure what is meant by "address bar" on LT page = the top line shows "Home...Zeitgeist."

3. Again on the Main Page, if I click to "Edit your book...Editions,"
the only number on the page is an Amazon ISBN.

???

>98 m.belljackson: Look above that - it's not on the actual page but in the address bar in the browser. Where you type in "www.librarything.com" to get to LT.
The address bar is the place close to the top of the browser where you type in the URL (the web address), they start with http or https, but sometimes you can only see the bit that starts www. That's fine, just click on it so it turns blue and then right click and choose "copy". And then you copy that into the wiki.

Doing that will tell you that Assembling California's URL is https://www.librarything.com/work/106428

>98 m.belljackson: The address bar isn't exclusive to LibraryThing. It's at the very top of your browser window no matter what site you're on. It's above all of the LibraryThing links like "Home", "Zeitgeist", etc. This Wikipedia article explains what it is and provides sample images from several different browsers.

The page address/URL for Assembling California is https://www.librarything.com/work/106428. You can copy and paste this URL in the TIOLI wiki.

>98 m.belljackson: When using a cell phone, then the browser often does not give the whole URL. In my case (using a samsung) the address bar gives www.libraryhting.com only. When reloading the page you may see the whole address for a short time.

>99 PawsforThought: >100 cbl_tn: >101 paulstalder:

I'm starting to see where that old definition of insanity originated:

1. Above Library Thing is 12 dots (clicked on that = nada), then "Apple...Talk/LibraryThing...Washington Post" >

Talk/LibraryThing is what I click on to get to LT site. Could THAT be what stops the http from coming up?

I will try to get here via "www.librarything.com" to see if there's a difference.

2. I entered the numbers so kindly given to me previously for ASSEMBLING CALIFORNIA on the wiki site and think the rest was done correctly.
Just wanted to learn how to do future ones.

3. Thanks, Paul - I only use computer to go online. My cellphone is a basic Motorola.

>102 m.belljackson: It's the window where you'd type in anything you want to search but in the case of getting the Librarything info, it's already there when you click on the title of the book from the novels main page. It's so easy you'll be amazed. Good luck!

>102 m.belljackson: Maybe this will help:

This image shows a web browser with the URL for a Google India (http://www.google.co.in) circled. That URL is written in the address bar, and that is also where you'll find the unique URL for the book you want if you go to that book's LT page.

>5 lyzard: Wakiki Garden by Jane Comstock - it even has wiki-wiki in the text!

A very thin volume of poetry, which I selected because I am a snarky showoff and want at least 4 titles with all the letters of wiki in them, and will give myself extra attames for them all in order. I'm only allowing 2 Waikiki titles, though.

>105 quondame:

Yes, I saw that - nice! :D

>105 quondame: >106 lyzard: I caught that, too!

I've been reading and the rat laughed by Nava Semel for challenge #1, and looked up the author, only to find that she passed away in December last year. So I feel it's only right to move the book to challenge #13.

>96 paulstalder: Thanks Paul, and while I was looking at the Appelfeld book only last week, I have not been able to locate it at all so I might have to go back to the Wiesel book after all. I'll give it a few more days.

>97 SqueakyChu: I added a post to the In Memoriam thread as soon as I was aware. I read his The Man Who Never Stopped Sleeping last year and thought it was very good.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/postscript/aharon-appelfeld-and-the-truth-of-f...

>108 avatiakh: Thanks to the link to that article, Kerry. My husband read the obituary yesterday in our paper, not knowing who Appelfeld was. I just found The Immortal Bartfuss, one of Appelfeld’s novels, here at home so I tossed it into hubby’s To Be Read pile because I’m too immersed in my current novel and hope to make my next book one for Paul’s challenge.

Help needed!

November was such a bust here on LIbraryThing with the demise of the old wiki. I need your help in compiling the stats for that month. What I see from looking at the new November 2018 wiki is that it's mostly incomplete.

Here is the link to the new November 2018 wiki.

Would you go back and update that list for yourself (i.e. delete those books not COMPLETED, and mark that that were COMPLETED? I'll wait a few days, and then I'll compile the stats based on what I find. I'm trying to get it as accurate as possible. I think many of us just abandoned that old wiki out of frustration. The new wiki works fine. It just needs you to check off that you're not a robot! :)

Thank you!

>110 SqueakyChu: I think I've updated most if not all of mine.

>110 SqueakyChu: I've checked and corrected mine, Madeline.

>110 SqueakyChu: Mine are done. Thanks for all your effort you put in that

>110 SqueakyChu: I've checked mine.

Thanks, everyone!

I've made a Thread for challenge 8: Read a popular book you've always assumed you wouldn't like

>110 SqueakyChu: Sorry it took so long, but I finally looked over the wiki and saw mine was up to date. Maybe we lost some members, is AnnDC still with us?

I>118 Citizenjoyce: I don't know. I think she always pops in now and then.

I'm here! Will check on the wiki and update it but November (and December) were very slow reading months for me, so there may be little to add.

>120 AnneDC: It's not just that you might have something to add, it's that there may be books you listed that need to be removed.

>110 SqueakyChu: My November ones were all there.

My November books are now OK.

>88 owlie13: Would a hyphenated title qualify? I'm looking for somewhere to put Galax-Arena.

>124 avatiakh: Fine with me.

November Wiki accurately reflects my somewhat poor reading that month.

>126 Helenliz: Heh! Mine, too! :)

>46 SqueakyChu: TIOLI links in new wiki are done back to 2012, you were working at 2011?

>1 SqueakyChu: Would a nickname for a dog breed count? Such as lab (Lab Girl) for Labrador Retriever?

ETA:
Google dictionary:
Lab
lab/
abbreviation
noun: Lab; plural noun: Labs

a Labrador dog.

>129 Morphidae: That’s stretching it a bit, but I’ll accept it.

>128 FAMeulstee: ??? I wasn’t working in 2011. I haven’t been working in them at all recently.

>131 SqueakyChu: Then I will go on with 2011 tomorrow :-)

>132 FAMeulstee: Thank you so much!

I just realized we were supposed to list our books on the wiki in alphabetical order (except for the rolling challenges). I had been putting them at the bottom. I went through and corrected them. There were a couple of other people who made the same mistake, but I was the biggest offender!

>134 neverstopreading: Great you found out by yourself, Cody, you will be a seasoned TIOLI'er in no time :-)

>1 SqueakyChu:

Madeline, just checking that local usage is okay? - we tend to say "nits" rather than "lice". :)

>136 lyzard: I'd accept a nit. :D

Thank you! :D

I'm having trouble with this one, as you can tell from the fact that I've sunk to nits!

>138 lyzard: Hahahaha!!

I am going by the Merriam-Webster definition of nit which is: “the egg of a louse or other parasitic insect; also: the insect itself when young”

Phew!

>140 lyzard: LOL!

Here are the TIOLI Stats for November 2017.

Please note that these were the best we could do under the situation of the messed-up wiki. Going forward, the stats will be more accurate, I'm guessing. Thanks for your help in working with the old and new wiki to keep records for our TIOLI Challenges.

So...

In November, 2017, we read a total of 249 books, the smallest monthly total since May, 2010...the first year of our TIOLI challenges. We shared 42 books, the smallest number since April, 2010. This represents 17% shared reads...not such a bad number. That was our average percentage of shared reads for last year (2016). We accumulated 21 TIOLI points...the smallest number since February, 2010. Our YTD total for November was 375 books, the lowest ever YTD number for November in the history of our TIOLI challenges

I did not choose any books for the most popular book(s) of the month because there were multiple books with two readers, but no books with 3 or more readers.

The most popular challenge was the one by AnneDC to read a book whose title can be scrambled to form a different title (using all the letters). That challenge had 41 books read.

The challenges with the most TIOI points were these three - each with 3 points.
1. Read a book whose author has an A,B, or C in the first name word and an X, Y, or Z in the last name word (SqueakyChu's/my challenge)
2. Read a book with a butterfly on the cover (paulstalder's challenge)
3. Read a book whose title can be scrambled to form a different title (using all the letters) (AnneDC's chalenge)

Now, be looking for the TIOLI Awards for November, 2017...

The November 2017 TIOLI Awards

These may be late, but they are sincere...

The Gratefulness Award goes to FAMeulstee for reading The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion - Surprising Observations of a Hidden World for streamsong's challenge to read a book with three things you are grateful for in the title. The three items of life, animals, and compassion struck me as those items for which I am truly thankful as well.

The Come Again Award goes to Carmenere for the challenge to read a book where the first word in the first sentence of the very last paragraph of the book begins with the letter K, continue in rolling order L, M, N etc. I had to read this challenge over and over again to be sure I understood what was asked. It had me laughing so hard that I thought it definitely deserved an award.

The Stop to Take A Breath Award goes to paulstalder for reading Des Lebenskünstlers Lese-Vergnügen, mit dem man dem Glück auf die Spur kommt und sich Freude macht for klobrien2's challenge to read a book where the title has at least seven words (NOT including subtitles). This book not only had 16 words in its title, but it also had some pretty long words within the title itself. I did read the entire title out loud to myself in one breath, however. :)

The Beautiful Memories Award goes to paulstalder for his challenge to read a book with a butterfly on the cover in memory of his recently departed and deeply beloved wife Suki. So many challengers here were sad to learn of her death and were eager to participate in this challenge to show our support at this time of great loss to a very active TIOLI challenger.

The Anagram Fun Times Award goes to DeltaQueen for reading Waiting For Joe for AnneDC's challenge to read a book whose title can be scrambled to form a different title (using all the letters). This challenge is always a doozy so please take some time to go back to see the other anagrams that had been formed from book titles. The one that had me laughing the hardest was the anagram "Join wife to rag". Is this some kind of way of making your spouse do the housework? If so, I'm not in favor of it! :D

Congrats to our award winners. Feel free to add any other awards for the November 2017 challenge at this time.

TIOLI Question of the Month

So far this month, have you met a character in any of your books who you just truly love or admire? Who is it this character? Why does this person evoke such a reaction in you? In which book is this character? Is the character real or fictitious?

Congrats to all the November Award winners!

Hahaha and I thank the TIOLI Academy for the "Come Again Award"! I dedicate this lovely award to my husband who has dealt with my baffling sentences for almost 25 years. (Unlike you, he doesn't laugh he just sighs and shakes his head) ;0)

>144 SqueakyChu: I do really like Charles the Cat in Booked for Trouble. He's a cat . . . and knows the difference in good people and bad people. Of course, the book is fiction as is Charles, but he reminds me of my own cats. All libraries need a cat!

>145 Carmenere: I had so much fun just reading the title of your challenge. You have no idea. It was great entertainment. :D

>143 SqueakyChu: Thank you for the Anagram Fun Times Award. I am always ready to have a fun time. My own favorite of the books I used for that challege was War Story which became "Rosy Wart". I thought that was very descriptive! ;)

>143 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award, Madeline, with that title I had plenty to choose from.

>144 SqueakyChu: I am reading Woutertje Pieterse by Multatuli, a 19th century Dutch classic. Woutertje is a very nice and charming (fictional) boy surrounded by people who don't understand his adventurous and imaginative character. I am about 1/3rd into the book and loving Woutertje!

ETA: All links in the new wiki are done now :-)

>149 FAMeulstee: Anita, thank you so very much for your hard work on the wiki.

Soon I'll be posting stats and awards for December, 2018, and then we’ll be up-to-date. Thanks, everyone, for hanging in there with us!

>150 SqueakyChu: 👍

>151 neverstopreading: Ooh - how do you do that?

>152 wandering_star: Go to emojipedia.org and click "copy" when you're at the emoji page you want.

Congratulations, Dejah_Thoris, with the first sweep this year!!

>153 neverstopreading: Thanks.

>154 FAMeulstee: Excelernt! We have Dejah_Thoris as our first sweeper. Congrats on a nice start to the year!

Congratulations Dejah! And Anita, I see you are just about there as well. :)

>157 DeltaQueen50: I am 357 pages from a sweep, Judy :-)

I read Passing, does Passing count?

>159 Kristelh:

It does! Put it on the wiki and mark it COMPLETED.

Just to say that I've moved a book The Power by Naomi Alderman to Challenge 3 from Challenge 5 - 2 people listed it as a planned read and one, owlie, has finished reading it. Wandering Star, I have taken the liberty of moving your listing too, but if you want to move it back.... I see you've already finished two other books for challenge 5, and I have finished another "real life" group read one.

And today I finished my book for challenge #5 and so finishing my first sweep in 2018 :-)

#1: De hond van Rafa (Rafa's dog) by Helen Griffiths
#2: De abdij van Northanger (Northanger Abbey) by Jane Austen
#3: De oorlog heeft geen vrouwengezicht (The Unwomanly Face of War) by Svetlana Alexievich
#4: Onafhankelijke mensen (Independent people) by Haldór Laxness
#4: Woutertje Pieterse by Multatuli
#5: Wolvensaga by Käthe Recheis
#6: De vergeten geschiedenis van mijn grootvader Sulayman Hadj Ali by Meltem Halaceli
#7: Waarom ik lees (Where I'm Reading From) by Tim Parks
#8: Twilight (Twilight) by Stephenie Meyer
#9: Een handvol sneeuw (The End of Days) by Jenny Erpenbeck
#10: Reizen zonder John (In America: Travels With John Steinbeck) by Geert Mak
#11: De reizen van Gulliver (Gulliver's Travels) by Jonathan Swift
#12: Het vierkant van de wraak (The Square of Revenge) by Pieter Aspe
#13: A van alibi (A Is for Alibi) by Sue Grafton
#13: Doldwazen en druiloren (Fruitloops and dipsticks) by Ulf Stark
#14: Kaas en de evolutietheorie by Bas Haring
#14: Majesteit, Uw ontbijt by Sjoerd Kuyper
#15: Sacha, de russische blauwe kat (Russian blue) by Helen Griffiths
#16: Het heksenkind (Witch fear) by Helen Griffiths

>161 elkiedee: thanks, that works for me!

>162 FAMeulstee: congratulations!

>162 FAMeulstee: Hurray for Anita!!!

Congrats Dejah and Anita! Awesomeness!

>144 SqueakyChu: TIOLI Question of the Month:So far this month, have you met a character in any of your books who you just truly love or admire?

I am blown away by the author Khizr Khan in his book An American Family: A Memoir.

He was the Muslim gold star father who spoke at the Democratic National Convention. However, he doesn't fit into a Democratic box. He was in love with America from the first time he came across the Constitution in a Pakastani bookstore, although he knew nothing of American history. Much of his inspiration was initially spurred by Republican Ronald Reagan and even words by George W. Bush.

He spoke at the DNC due to a deep love for America and the feeling that the anti Muslim rhetoric had reached a scary turning point.

This is a very intelligent, thoughtful man who has a lot to say regarding reasonable discourse about divisive matters.

>165 streamsong: That sounds like an amazing book!

Congratulations Dejah and Anita.

Way 2 go, Dejah and Anita!!!

>165 streamsong: so do you think the Republican party needs people like him if they wish to avoid the self destructive path they're on?

>166 SqueakyChu: It was! I'd love to see it gain some traction here on LT!

>169 neverstopreading: Well, I'm trying to keep this apolitical, but it's not easy with this book. I think both parties could use members like him - thoughtful, giving and the American dream firmly in mind.

>51 DeltaQueen50:

Judy, would you accept the novelisation of a screenplay, or is that putting the cart before the horse? :)

>171 lyzard: Yes, I would accept that, Liz, as long as at some point there will be/or was a film or television program.

>172 DeltaQueen50:

Excellent, thanks!

What are the rules for moving a book from the "Wiki" rolling challenge to another challenge?

>174 neverstopreading:

Of course you're free to move your book, but in a challenge like this it is necessary to find a replacement. You could either replace it yourself with a different book, with the appropriate letter in the title, or ask here for someone else to list a replacement book in that slot.

I'm new to the TIOLI challenge, and I wanted to know if it was OK to mention it in a Group Read thread. I've read Death at La Fenice for the Two Guidos Group Read and included it in the Rolling WIKI challenge as an "i." I'd like to let the other participants know I've done so but didn't know if I should mention it or not.

>176 rretzler:. You can certainly mention it! The TIOLI is a hidden challenge, but it is not a secret challenge! :)

The reason I originally made it into a “hidden” challenge back in 2010 when I started it was so that it would not be so large that it would be overwhelming for me to run. It is smaller than when I started it, but I think the size it of it now works perfectly.

I’ve added God Stalk to Challenge 4 (the Rolling Challenge) under ‘K’ with the rest of the group readers.

>176 rretzler:

Good to have you here, Robin! :)

>179 lyzard: Thanks, Liz!

>1 SqueakyChu: Madeline, are you OK with including the subtitle? Nothing to say they are not included, just checking.

>You may include a subtitle. Go for it! :D

>182 SqueakyChu: I have an ape to add. >:-)

>183 Helenliz: Heh!

Ursula Le Guin has died. One of my favorites
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/obituaries/ursula-k-le-guin-acclaimed-for-...

>185 Citizenjoyce: Noooooooooooo!

>185 Citizenjoyce: I was just reading that article. So sad - she was such an amazing author, and has had such a big impact on so many people's lives through her books.

>185 Citizenjoyce: That's sad. Thank you for letting us know.

>185 Citizenjoyce: She has been one of my favorites for a long time, and my daughter at age 23 has just started appreciating her work.

I’m asking here because I noticed that folks have been migrating wikis and I can’t seem to find the information elsewhere.

I’ve created a couple of wikis, though to be honest I haven’t been maintaining them religiously. I did put links to them on my profile page but they’re not working. Can anyone help me sort this out please?

>190 humouress: The old wiki is replaced by th new one.
Your new page is at: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/User:Humouress

If you need access to your old wiki page, a password is required that can be found in this post: http://www.librarything.com/topic/277450#6338512

>191 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita!

For the first time in years, not sure how long it has been, have completed a sweep with my 18th book of this month, have also read the last few pages of #19. And that includes 5 shared reads.

>193 elkiedee: Congratulations on your sweep!

>193 elkiedee: Yay!

>193 elkiedee:

Wow! Congratulations!

>193 elkiedee: Congratulations on your sweep!

(Your previous sweep was in June 2014)

Congratulations to our sweepers, amazing!

I continue to be amazed at all of you who sweep. This month I managed 3 out of the 5 shared reads I had planned (wait lists at a rural library system), but I think that ties my previous best month.

>199 jeanned: I'm always amazed, too. Every once in awhile, I give it a try but don't usually make it. With my medical issues these days, reading provides a distraction for me but is not top of mind right now so I won't be trying to sweep anytime soon but I admire those who can

YAY, I too finished a sweep today.

>201 Citizenjoyce: Unbelievable. You, too?! Congrats, Joyce!

I will have finished three books by month's end! :O

Thanks Anita - over 3.5 years ago - it's longer than I realised.

Just gotta add that the sweepers are insanely impressive to me - I have finished 5 books this month, and should be able to finish one more :)!

Last year I had a month where I finished no books at all, a hefty biography took me about 9 weeks to read, not alone but.... so I'm particularly surprised - it may be another 3.5 years or so before I do it again.

>202 SqueakyChu: Thanks. This never used to happen. TIOLI must be evolving.

>201 Citizenjoyce: Congratulations, Joyce!
It is a sweeping month ;-)

>207 FAMeulstee: Thanks, you’ve started a parade.

Well done all of you! I am in awe, as ever.
One day I will retire and then achieve a sweep; until then, I can dream...

>209 Helenliz: Well, retirement didn't help me! I'm off to start doing some tax stuff now...which I've been putting off for as long as I could! :(

50 pages and 13.5 hours left for a sweep. There's a certain aptness that the book I'm finishing, Equal Rites, is about witches.

I think it's safe to sum up January, as I won't finish another book today. I actually managed to fit 5 of the 7 books I read this month into a TIOLI category, which must be some kind of record for me! Thanks to everyone who contributed a challenge this month. I took some advice from expert TIOLIers and just tried to find categories for the books I already planned to read, rather than trying to shape my reading plans by the challenges. I think doing it the other way is probably much more fun, but I have this weird mental block about feeling like I "have" to read something, even if I'm the only one "making" me do it. :-)

>211 neverstopreading: do you need a cheerleading team? *shakes pom poms* goooooooo READ!

>212 rosalita: that's usually my approach. I allow myself a challenge for a book I *know* I want to read, just in case it won't fit. I've managed to shoehorn most books in somewhere. >:-)

>212 rosalita: I usually try to find a book for each challenge, but nearly all of the time, I end up reading what I wanted to read anyway.

So my first time with the TIOLI challenge, and I'm having fun! I had already planned my reading for the month and managed to fit 12 of the 14 works I read into TIOLI categories. The 2 that didn't fit were short stories, so I didn't try to fit those anywhere. I think the advice just to read what you want to read works well! I can't wait to see how February shakes out.

I'm glad we have quite a few new and "returnee" challengers now! I am also glad that this challenge is turning out to be fun. That was the idea of it!

Housekeeping Day!

Please remove any book from the wiki that you don't finish by 12 midnight tonight except for any rolling challenge. For those, just mark those you didn't finish as DNF (did not finish).

On to February, challengers!

>211 neverstopreading: There's a certain aptness that the book I'm finishing, Equal Rites, is about witches.

Quick! Finish the book before the witch puts a hex on us! ;)

>213 Helenliz: *shakes pom poms* goooooooo READ!

A cheerleading team (or even a single cheerleader) is always good! :D

>215 rretzler: The 2 that didn't fit were short stories, so I didn't try to fit those anywhere

You can definitely add those under WORKS instead of BOOKS...as long as they fit a challenge requirement.

>143 SqueakyChu: Thank you so much for the two awards - especially the memory award. I am very pleased that so many took part in that. I feel very much supported by this group, thank you everybody

... and now it is already Housekeeping Day! I did read around 10 books but haven't started my 2018 thread yet ...

This was my first time taking part in the TIOLI challenge, and I want to say it was so much fun! It got me out of a rut I was in with my reading (too much cheaply written urban fantasy), got some books off my TBR pile, and helped me discover new authors and genres. Thanks to everyone, especially people who created such fun challenges.

>220 owlie13: I am so happy you've enjoyed the challenges. One of the purposes for which I created the TIOLI challenge was to get people to s-t-r-e-t-c-h what they read and not always stick to the same kinds of books. I see that it worked! :D

Finished the sweep!

>213 Helenliz: Thanks for cheering me on!

>222 neverstopreading: Oh what a feeling! Congratulations.

>222 neverstopreading: well done!

>222 neverstopreading: Congratulations, Cody!!!

>222 neverstopreading: Congrats to our newest sweeper! Love the gif, by the way. :)

I’m not sure we’be ever had five sweepers in one month before! Does anyone know for sure?

>227 SqueakyChu: In November 2016 we had 9 sweepers, with 11 sweeps (I did a 3 x sweep that month), in 15 challenges that month.

>228 FAMeulstee: Wow! I'll have to make a note of that on our wiki - in cse we ever beat our own record.

>229 SqueakyChu: When I was updating the links on the new wiki, I made a list of all sweeps. So I could look up immediately.
I can put the whole list on a page, or a page you use.

>230 FAMeulstee: I'll make a page for them and link it to the wiki page. Then you can add your information to it. Thanks!

>230 FAMeulstee: Would you put the information here? Thanks!

Congrats to all you sweepers!

>231 SqueakyChu: & >232 SqueakyChu: Done :-)

You forgot to change the link to the FAQ on your templates, I have changed them.

Congrats to all the Sweepers! You're my inspiration!!

Wow! Congrats to all the sweepers! Thanks, Anita for making that info available. You absolutely rock!

And of course, Thanks Madeleine for all that you do to make this such a fun challenge!

Touchstones, authors, and updating the wikis needs to wait until site search is working! Tim knows about the problems.

1. Read a book having a title which includes an animal with exactly three letters in its name - Lab Girl by Hope Janren
2. Read a book with a gothic theme - The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
3. Read a book that is on a list of best or notable books of 2017 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Amazon)
4. The WIKI Rolling Challenge: read a book with 'w', 'i', 'k', 'i' in the title (I) - The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt*
5. Read a book that you did not select (eg gift, subscription, book club choice) - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
6. Read a book you acquired in December 2017, but NOT as a gift - Boneyard by Seanan McGuire
7. Read a book that has been on your e-reader or phone for at least 6 months - Wonder by R. J. Palacio
8. Read a popular or best-selling book that you've always assumed you wouldn't like - The Chosen by Chaim Potok
9. Read a book that contains more than one beginning - Every Day by David Levithan
10. Read a book that has a relation to another book - World War Z by Max Brooks
11. Read a book that has been (or is going to be) adapted for film or television - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
12. Read a book with a geometric shape in the title - Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts**
13. Read a book by an author OR illustrator who died in 2017 - A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
14. Rolling challenge: Answer the questions with a book title you read (why read) - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See***
15. Read a book with a title that contains the letter u at least twice - The Round House by Louise Erdich
16. Read a book with at least a two-word title, but containing no prepositions - Deja New by MaryJanice Davidson

* Someone deleted this entry even though the entries weren't finalized. But I was able to add it at the bottom since an "I" was available.
** All about the heart shape http://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/heart.htm
*** Because I'm a fan of books! Aren't we all?

>237 Morphidae: I’m going to borrow your list, thanks Morphy, though I’m nowhere near a sweep.

✔ Challenge 14 : 8) Instructions by Neil Gaiman (how travel)
✔ Challenge 16 : 7) Little Miss Helpful by Roger Hargreaves
✔ Challenge 4 : 6) God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell - (K)
✔ Challenge 6 :5) The Chronicles of Dragon: the Hero, the Sword and the Dragons by Craig Halloran
✔ Challenge 7 : 4) More Trouble at Trebizon by Anne Digby
✔ Challenge 10 : 3) Tashi and the Genie by Anna and Barbara Fienberg
✔ Challenge 5 : 2) Tashi and the Ghosts by Anna and Barbara Fienberg
✔ Challenge 8 : 1) The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Duplicate post, sorry. Having connection problems.

Well done and congrats to all the sweepers. I could never sweep, so I'm completely in awe of you all.

>234 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>241 SqueakyChu: You are very welcome, Madeline, it makes me happy when I am able to help :-)

Wow - it looks like Anita did a sweep of the sweeps in 2017! Congrats! Very cool - that should be worth some extra kudos!

ETA - and also Chatterbox in 2014!

>243 rretzler: It did get extra kudos for Anita this year as her accomplishment was written up in LT's State of the Thing. Chatterbox missed April back in 2014, but hers was an amazing accomplishment nevertheless!

>237 Morphidae: You did a sweep in January, Morphy?

>243 rretzler: Yes I did, Robin, and was celebrated with a mention in the State of the Thing newsletter :-)

>245 FAMeulstee: Yeah, I'm just a bit behind in getting them entered.

>246 Morphidae: Congratulations on your sweep, Morphy!!!

>249 Citizenjoyce: Cool! I didn't realize you were announcing your sweep. Congrats, Morphy!

Congrats sweepers

>237 Morphidae: Okay, updated all my info to the wiki. I found it amusing. At first to "prove I was human" all I had to do was check off a box. Then I had to start clicking on store fronts, bridges, and buses!

>250 Morphidae: I think that happens so that we don't get all of those pictures if we want to make an update or two. It's when we start swamping the wiki with changes that it thinks we're bots. I find those so annoying, but I understand why it has to be done...so I'll live with it without complaining.

>251 SqueakyChu: The problem is that if I’m updating on a tablet or a phone sometimes the pictures are so small that I can’t prove I’m a human.

>252 Citizenjoyce: I hear you. I'm looking at the pictures on a desktop, and I still can't figure them out. I just give it my best guess. Lots of times I'm wrong, but ti just gives me another picture to solve. Eventually I get it.

I hate those captchas, but life would probably be worse without them.

Congratulations to all the January Sweepers. When I first saw the gif at >222 neverstopreading: I thought it was supposed to be Madeline doing her monthly housekeeping of the TIOLI Challenges!

>255 DeltaQueen50: Me?! Do housekeeping?!! Whatever for?!!!! That's what all of *you* do!! :D

> Well, that's true but I suspect you have had to do some cleaning up after the lot of us!

>257 DeltaQueen50: I try to do as little as I can! :D

>253 SqueakyChu: True, fortunately, they give us lots of chances.

TIOLI Stats for December 2017

In December, 2018, we had 14 challenges and read a total of 299 books. We had 45 shared reads, which was 15% of the books we read. We had a December YTD total of 24 TIOLI points, giving us a total of 399 TIOLI points for the year (the lowest yearly total ever). :(

The most popular books, each read by three challengers, were:
1. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
2. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
3. Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott

The most popular challenge was susanna.fraser's challenge to read a book where the author's name contains at least two consecutive alphabetical letters. There were 84 books read for that challenge. I had to go back and check those numbers to be sure they were correct because that is a huge number of books for just one challenge!

The challenges with the most TIOLI points (each with 3) were these.
1. Read a book with a title that is a quotation or a play on a quotation - presented by lyzard.
2. Read a book you planned to read last December but didn't read or complete - presented by thornton37814
3. Read a book with a one word title - presented by FAMeulstee
4. Read a book where the author's name contains at least two consecutive alphabetical letters - presented by susanna.fraser - 3 pts)

The December TIOLI Awards are coming soon...and maybe, just maybe, we'll soon be caught up! :D

A look at our 2017 stats as compared to previous years:

The number of challenges each month has gone down, averaging 17 challenges per month.

The total number of books read per month has gone down, averaging 325 books per month.

The number of shared reads per month has gone down, averaging 61 books per month.

The percentage of shared reads has gone up, averaging 19% per month. Yes!!

The number of monthly TIOLI points has gone down, averaging 33 per month.

The YTD monthly totals has gone down, averaging 33 per month.

We're now in a new year. Let's get on with it!

>261 SqueakyChu: But I think you mentioned there were also fewer participants last year. I know I didn’t manage to join in for most months of last year.

I still have to finish inputting my January readings - but I doubt I had any shared reads except for God Stalk, which is already in.

>262 humouress:

There were indeed fewer participants this past year. I like to keep track of the stats to see how much interest and participation we have in the TIOLI challenges from year to year. I share this by sharing the stats with you. Some people are interested in them; others are not.

I already did the January final tally! That's okay. When you go in and add your books, please take off the note "final tally" from those challenges in which you're adding books. I may have removed some of your books that were not COMPLETED already so double check and add them again if necessary. I will redo the tallies so do tell me when you're done. Thanks!

TIOLI AWARDS for December 2017

The Triad Award goes to klobrien2 for reading Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972 for my (SqueakyChu's) challenge to read a book that has the word "the" at least twice in the title. This challenger read a book with the word "the" repeated three times in the title. High five!...er, High three!

The We're in this Together Award goes to Carmenere for the challenge to read a book that has a word in the title that describes how you feel when the wiki is not working. That so perfectly ties a challenge to our confusing milieu!

The You Named It award goes to lyzard for reading The Crime Without A Clue for Carmenere's challenge to read a book that has a word in the title that describes how you feel when the wiki is not working. "Without a clue" describes it perfectly!

The Find My Game Board Award goes to paulstalder for reading God in the Shadows for Helenliz's challenge to read a book that features 12 something. The book title contained twelve Scrabble points. That makes me want to play Scrabble again. First, though, I have to find that game somewhere in my house!

The Solitary Word Award (I love this one!) goes to FAMeulstee for reading One for this challenger's own challenge to read a book with a one-word title. Yeah. The one-word title for this challenger's book was, of course, "One". Heh!

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

We're caught up from the wiki debacle! Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>264 SqueakyChu:

Thank you, Madeline! What can I say? It just leapt out at me! :D

>265 SqueakyChu:

Whoo-hoo!!

>265 SqueakyChu: that deserves a significant congratulations. I am sure it must have been very difficult to keep everything in order.

Hurrah for being caught up on the wiki, and congrats to the award winners!

>264 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the award, Madeline :-)

>265 SqueakyChu: So glad the wiki is working again!
The Captcha is a hassle sometimes, but it keeps the flood of smap out of the wiki.

>269 FAMeulstee: Smap. Hmm.

Is that a new type of wiki-related spam?

;)

>270 Morphidae: LOL most times I catch my dyslectic faults before I post, Morphy. Good job figuring that one out ;-)

I think "smap" is a portmanteau of "smut" and "spam." Equivalent terms include "smam" and "sput."

>271 FAMeulstee: I lived in Colorado for many years. Every winter I'd talk about my need to go out and snovel the show. Consistently. I get you.
>272 neverstopreading: Ha!

>264 SqueakyChu: Congrats to all the December Award winners!

Thanks Madeline for my award. I certainly hope there won't be a need to have one like that again.

>264 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the games award :) We often played scrabble, but not on the board. We put the letters on the table and built in any direction the words flowed.
Hope you found board again, otherwise play without, that's fun, too.

>273 Citizenjoyce: When we first got married my husband would talk about the ‘bon doocks’. As that’s not a phrase I’d use (even in its correct form) though I had heard/ seen it, it took me a while to work it out.

>276 humouress: took me a minute too.